King Park
by Pey119
Summary: Human AU. When Percy's cousin, Nico, is in life threatening danger, he learns all the secrets his cousin had been keeping for years, including something so important that lives were given to keep in protected. Unwillingly, Percy is dragged into the world of gangs and suffering children. Completed
1. Another Shooting on the Southeast Side

_**A.N: This story was at first based off of the song King Park by La Dispute. If you look up the song, you know the ending, so if you're into this story, I wouldnt do that... maybe after the story's over. Anyways, here we go.**_

Chapter 1- "Another Shooting On The Southeast Side…"

Percy Jackson was always a good kid. He did what his mother told him and followed all her rules. He went to church on Sundays and was a devoted Catholic. Even when his mother remarried, he walked her down the aisle. In Lent he fasted on Sundays and gave up something he liked. At the age of seventeen, he was happy.

That was one of the reasons why that day was marked in his memory forever. Even after he took a shower and the smell was off of him, he could never actually get rid of it. In his dreams, he was haunted by how much blood there had been. It had covered the little boy, flowing freely from the wound. The iron from it was still mixed with his saliva, like it would be forever. Innocent lives should never be ended. Not like this.

He had been walking down the street, his mother next to him. They had been shopping, getting ready for a family reunion. It had been a happy day. The sky was clear and blue, just like New Yorkers described it before 9/11. The air was warm for September, maybe fifty degrees. Walking through the crowd of people on the streets he grew up with, Percy felt free, like life could give him anything and he could stand it.

"Mom, is Uncle Bruner coming tonight?" Percy asked, glancing over at her. Uncle Brunner had always been his favorite uncle. He had a weird obsession with Greek Mythology and always helped him when he felt down. He could tell his Uncle anything and know that it would be kept a secret.

"I don't know, sweetie." she answered. "He could, you never know."

By now they weren't in that public of an area. On the streets, there was breathing space for cars and taxis, creating kind of a lazy feeling.

"Mom, what's over that girl's eye?" Percy asked after a while, pointing to a girl about nineteen. Her light Mexican skin clashed with her honey blond hair, like she had dyed it. A mark went from above her eye to below it. It was like a swirling pattern, her eye in the middle, and ten two small triangles below it.

His mom's face paled. "Percy, do not point at her. Just stay away."

"Why?" Percy asked.

His mom held a finger to her lips, stopping as if to look in a store window, Percy following suit.

"Percy, be quiet. It's a gang symbol, okay? I don't want you mixed up in those things." she said.

Before Percy could answer, he turned to the sound of a loud car engine, it's speed over the limit. Standing there, he watched as a hooded figure, almost leaning out of the window, pulled out a pistol. From his spot, he saw in slow motion as two bullets whizzed through the air, meeting two marks instead of one. The girl with the gang tattoo dropped, her head destroyed by the bullet. The other was a small boy, maybe about ten years old. He yelped, stared down at his stomach, and then fell to the ground next to the girl's corpse.

Percy snapped his head back to where the car was, but it was gone. This, he knew, was why his mom didn't want him related to a gang. The drive-by was to kill a member, yet also taking the life of an innocent.

When Percy and Sally Jackson, his mother, walked into their apartment, Percy's stepfather, Paul, leaped up from the chair and came over to them, hugging each tightly. When Percy looked over Paul's shoulder, he saw that the news was already covering the scene. It was titled a gang related drive-by shooting.

"I was so worried about you two!" Paul exclaimed. "Are you both alright?"

"Were fine, Paul," his mother attempted to laugh. "You should have seen it. It was so bloody and gruesome."

Percy stopped listening and sat on the couch, turning the TV up. The news was going over and over how they couldn't identify who did it but they did know who the girl was that had been shoot. Her name was Kathy McCarran, and she had been the active female leader of the gang "Rebel per l'umanita".

The boy who had been caught up in it was Malcolm Chase, ten years old. He was in critical condition at a nearby hospital, but they weren't sure if he would make it through the night.

Paul's head shot up when he heard the name. "Chase… I have a student that will be in Percy's class this year. Her name in Annabeth Chase. Sadly, I wonder…"

"Oh, Paul, pray that it isn't." Sally cried. "That would be horrifying!"

Percy zoned out again, not even paying attention to the TV this time. Instead, his mind wouldn't leave the idea of what that family must be going through right then. Were they still shocked, or had they already gotten over it and were crying until their eyes were sore?  
"I'm a little tired." Percy yawned, standing up. "I think I'm going to take a nap before everybody gets here."

Sally nodded, a sad look on her face. "Ok,"

Percy walked out of the living room and down the hall, finally entering his room. Closing the door behind him, he collapsed on his bed, pure exhaustion welling up inside him. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep. His thoughts kept coming back to the boy and his family. What had they been doing? What had they been looking forward to do and now will never do?

Percy fell into an uneasy sleep, his dreams about the boy before he had been shot, before he had left that house. Percy could picture him doing homework, or playing video games with his siblings. And every time he would look into his eyes, he would remember every single ounce of blood that had spilled from his body.

Percy woke up in a cold sweat, sheets tangled around him. How could anybody live with themselves after they had done that? After they had killed an innocent child? Who would put that child at risk to begin with?

Percy looked at his clock, seeing that his family would be there any second. Jumping out of bed, he changed clothes and attempted to make his raven hair lay flat. Once he was done, he ripped open the door and came into the living room, seeing his mother open the door to the first of his family members.

Zeus Grace had been his father's brother, strong and tall. He left an impression on everyone he walked by, warning them not to mess with him. His two children, Jason and Thaila, took more after their mother.

Jason was the same age as Percy. He was tall and tan, blond hair and blue eyes. They always called him superman, making fun of his outward appearance. Thaila, however, had their dad's black hair, cut short and spiky. She had on a Green Day T-shirt and ripped up jeans.

"Hey guys!" Percy said. Jason and Thaila nodded, coming over to talk to him.

After them, Hades di Angelo, also his dad's brother, came in, a black suit on. His uncle always dressed nice, even when he knew that his son was starving. Percy didn't like him very much, especially because his cousin, Nico, suffered for him.

Nico di Angelo came in behind his dad, black hoodie up over his head. His greasy black hair fell out of it in trebles, finally ending when it brushed his shoulders. His faded black denim jeans were ripped and tattered, having been in use since he became a teenager, which was four years before. He was short for seventeen, maybe about 5'4. When he pulled his hands out of his pockets to pull his hood up, he revealed black gloves that used to be whole, but now fingerless. His eyes were pitch black, weary and unsettled. Percy knew this was usually the look he got after a beating, and Percy couldn't help but trace his eyes over his body, looking for any injuries.

He remembered the first time he found out about it. Nico was fourteen, even smaller than he was now. He had showed up at Percy's house, asking if he could stay the night. Automatically, Percy said yes, eager to get to know his cousin more. When they were in Percy's room, Nico looked embarrassed, but he said he had to ask him something. Percy had said he could ask him anything, and Nico smiled.

"Does this look broken to you?" he had asked, taking off his shirt and showing him his collar bone, which was a large lump, purple and blue. If Percy looked hard enough, he could see the white poking from underneath the flesh. He answered truthfully, asking him how he did it. Nico cringed, looking away from Percy.

"Do you really want to know?" he had looked away. Percy had nodded, and Nico told him.

"Hey, Percy!" Nico waved his hand in front of his face, causing the other boy to come out of his musings.

"Sorry," Percy replied. "I was just thinking."

"About?" Nico asked.

Percy looked him in the eyes, making Nico cringe and turn away. Percy's eyes narrowed, knowing that _something_ was wrong, not just a bad beating.

"Hey, you alright?" Percy asked.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Nico asked automatically.

"You know what I mean." Percy replied just as quickly.

Nico looked back at him, his eyes glazed over. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Percy's mother, saying it was time to eat. Nico glanced at Percy before heading toward the table, where all the others were going. Percy was left alone, staring after his cousin. A bad feeling was forming his stomach, the same one he had had earlier that day.

Percy sighed, shaking his head. He chuckled, trying to calm himself down, before making his way to the table.


	2. I Disintegrate, Become Invisible

Chapter 2- "I Disintegrate, Become Invisible…"

The next morning, Malcolm Chase was pronounced dead.

Yet, that was the same morning Percy started his sophomore year in high school. He didn't want to, but he had to go. So, he got up, took a shower, and kissed his mother on the cheek before leaving with Paul, who taught there. Today, he would get his schedule and where his locker was, so they left early.

After he got his stuff and went to his locker, he went and found Jason, who was at his own locker. He leaned on the row of lockers, watching as Jason put away his bag.

"You know that kid died this morning?" Percy asked him.

"I heard." Jason answered. "They said they have suspects, but they can't prove anything yet."

"Hopefully they can, soon. Whoever did that needs to rot in prison." Percy replied as Nico walked up.

Nico didn't lift his head or join in the conversation. He never did, really. He would sit with their group at lunch, or hang out with them in the hallways, but he never was really was _friends_ with them. He would keep to himself in his mind, kind of just drifting through his high school days.

"Nico, are you okay? You didn't act good last night." Jason asked, looking at their younger cousin. "You look worse today."

And he did. Nico's hair was tangled, falling into his face, which was worn down. His eyes were cast down, looking like he had gotten no sleep the night before, which he probably didn't. He usually couldn't sleep at nights. His nightmares were always bad, burdening him to no end. He was slouching, now, his body worn and torn, like a soldier.

"I'm fine." he muttered, almost too quiet to hear.

Jason shot a glance at Percy, but let the subject drop. "Anyways, we should get to class. We're going to be late on our first day."

The three left in the directions of their class rooms, which were each in opposite directions. When Percy got to his homeroom, he had just enough time to sit down before the bell rang. Ms. Dodds, his homeroom teacher, was mean enough to give him detention his first day if he had been late.

Percy looked around the classroom, noticing that a seat was empty. He knew that it could be an extra desk, but it didn't look like it. It was in the middle of the room, surrounded by other students' desks. Percy remembered what Paul had said the day before, and thought that the desk was probably the girl's.

His teacher took role call, and his first day of senior year officially started.

By the time lunch came around, Percy already had a headache forming. He ignored it, however, and advanced toward the line for food. Once he grabbed his pizza, he advanced to their usual lunch table. Already there was Jason and Piper McLean, sitting side by side. Percy joined them, sitting on the other side of Jason.

"Hey, Percy," Piper greeted. "You look terrible."

"I'm worried about Nico." Percy answered. "He just seems, so,-"

"Nico-ish?" Jason asked. "Look, Percy, he's always like this. You know that."

Percy sighed, but didn't answer because Nico sat down next to him, only putting a coffee down on the table. It was all he could afford.

"Nico, what happened to your eye?" Piper asked, peering at the seventeen year old.

When Percy looked over at him, he could see that one of the dark obsidian eyes was swollen and black. Underneath, a bruise was forming on his bone.

Nico shrugged and mumbled something. When they couldn't hear him, he said it a little louder, barely hearable. "Luke Castellan."

Luke Castellan. Percy clenched his fists, but he knew that getting mad wouldn't do anything. Besides, Nico went through so much worse at home. This was probably a little pinch to him.

Jason looked over at Percy, but Percy shook his head. Nico hated it when they fought his fights, so they didn't. They let it go, because, Nico wasn't dead yet, was he? He could take care of himself.

"So, anyway, change of subject?" Piper asked. Nico nodded at her, grateful, and put his head down on the table, closing his eyes against the lights of the cafeteria.

"Was it really that girl who goes here this year, Annabeth Chase's, brother who got killed by that gang member?" Percy asked.

"Yeah," Piper's voice hardened. "Whoever did that, I don't know how they can live with themselves."

"And they didn't even turn themselves in!" Jason stated. "I mean, at least they could give the family some closure."

Percy shook his head. "They wouldn't do that, Jason. Whoever has that sick of a mind to kill an innocent child probably doesn't care what the family is feeling. Besides, all they care about is themselves."

"And their freedom." Piper agreed. She shook her head. "You know, I still can't believe it."

"I don't think any of us can." Jason added. "But, there really isn't anything we can do about it. Can we talk about something more cheerful?"

"Oh!" Piper's head snapped up. "There's a party at Leo's on Friday. You guys going?"

Percy and Jason nodded. "Defiantly."

"Good," Piper beamed. "Maybe we can find you a girlfriend, Percy."

"I don't need a girlfriend, Piper." Percy answered. "You need to let that idea go. I'll find one when the time is right."

"Uh, yeah, okay." Jason said sarcastically. "You do that."

Percy shook his head as Piper laughed, smiling at his friends.

The party at Leo's house came by fast, and Percy was fine with that. He had been anxious to get the week over and done with, especially after his mom took him to Malcolm's funeral. The sight of the shortened coffin and the little boy in it made Percy's heart drop. The gruesome sight was completed by the sounds of the boy's mother's wails.

When Percy got there, most of the student body was already there. Leo's parents were always away, so he took it upon himself to always have the biggest, loudest parties. His mother didn't like them, but she agreed that he needed to get away from the week he had had.

"Hey, Jason!" Percy greeted, entering the kitchen. Jason, Piper, and Leo stood around the island, drinks in their hands. Music poured from deep within the house, like it had its own heart beat.

"S'up, Percy?" Jason shook his hand. "Did you bring di Angelo?"

Percy shook his head. "You know how much he hates parties."

"He probably would have killed the thing, anyway." Leo added. "I'm going to go into the living room. See you later."

He walked out, swaying in the process. When Percy sniffed the air, a faint smell of alcohol was left behind.

"Is he drunk?" Percy asked, looking at the couple in front of him.

"He answers as 'heavily wasted'." Jason answered. "But, yeah, he's drunk. He found his father's alcohol."

"Please tell me he's not giving it to anybody else." Percy stated.

"No, he's not. Thank god." Jason answered. "He's keeping it to himself. If he doesn't stop this soon, he's going to turn into an alcoholic."

"You can't ever save somebody from themselves."

They turned around to see Nico di Angelo in the doorway, heavily leaning on the frame. His black hood was up, hanging in his eyes. Yet, when he looked up, Percy could see the pain in them.

"Can I talk to you, please?" Nico asked, looking at Percy. Percy nodded, following Nico out of the room. Nico lead him outside to the front lawn, almost falling down into a seated position under an oak tree.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked, sitting beside his cousin. "What did he do to you?"

Nico bit his lip before answering. "Swear you won't tell?"

"I swear, just like last time." Percy insisted.

Nico nodded, briefly closing his eyes. "Look,"

Nico motioned to his leg, which his hand was clenching, right above the knee. When he took his hands off, liquid began to squirt out. In the moonlight, Percy saw how the liquid also covered Nico's hand, right up to the fingertips.

"Nico!? What happened?" Percy asked, advancing toward the wound. "What made this?"

"Haven't you seen anything?" Nico asked coldly. "It's a gunshot, idiot. Do you think you can fix me without the hospital involved? I've got no insurance, remember?"

Percy just stared at Nico's leg. "How are you not in pain?"

"Because, Percy, I've been through worse than this. Haven't we been through this a hundred times before?" Nico asked coldly. "Can you just fix it already?"

"I don't know how to fix it!" Percy exclaimed. "Nico, you have to go to the hospital. We can put you under our insurance."  
"Yeah, and if I do, their going to ask me where I got it, and my dad will literally kill me." Nico argued. "Think of another choice!"  
"There is no other choice!" Percy exclaimed. "I'm taking you to the hospital, whether you like it or not."

Percy stood up and helped the younger boy into a standing potion. Once Nico was leaning on him, he started to make his way to his car, unaware of the blood tracks following him.


	3. When You See It Up Close

Chapter 3- "When You See It Up Close, How Could You Ever Forget?,,,"

Percy's car broke down halfway to the hospital.

Feeling as if from an old horror movie, he watched as his car slowly came to a stop in one of the bad neighborhoods. Around him, he knew gangs lurked as they pried on innocent victims.

"Why are…we stopped?" Nico asked in between breaths. He laid in the backseat on an old blanket, which was now soaked through with blood. His breathing was heavy and shallow, labored as he forced oxygen into his lungs.

"The car ran out of gas." Percy answered. "But don't worry. I'll just call Jason, or an ambulance…..should I call an ambulance?"

"No…!" Nico tried to raise his voice, but only resulted in coughing.

"Nico, look, we're in a bad neighborhood and you're bleeding out. I can't sugar coat that, okay? I need to get you out of here before the gangs come." Percy climbed over the seat and into the back, trying to put pressure on the wound. "I'm not letting you die."

"Why not?" Nico breathed. "It would even the score…."

"What? What do you mean, Nico?" Percy asked, looking down at the younger boy. His eyes were now closed, no more flickering or movement anywhere on his face. "No, you can't be unconscious. That's a bad sign, Nico. Wake up, please."

Percy kept talking to him as he pushed down on the leg, which looked so worn that he was afraid his hands would go right through. He didn't realize until much later, but solid tears made their way down his cheek. He needed to save his cousin. He couldn't just let him die. Nico didn't deserve it. He was seventeen, and all he had ever known involved pain.

Percy's eyes darted to the outside of the car and nearly jumped back as he saw a face peering in, watching as he tried to save the teenager. Percy got ready to scream but stopped as the figure held a finger up to their lips, urging him to be quiet. So he stayed like that, blood seeping through his fingers and onto the floor of the car. Out of options and open for anything, Percy opened the door and faced the person, his face noting how badly he needed help.

Percy saw that it was a girl, around Nico's age. She nodded her head, her grim but determined face filled with dirt. Without having to think, Percy knew that she lived on the streets.

The girl climbed in beside Percy and closed the door softly, knowledgeable of the gangs that lived around them.

"How long ago did he get the bullet?" she asked, replacing Percy's hands with her own.

"I don't know." Percy admitted. "But I found out about fifteen minutes ago. It seemed that he was already bleeding pretty bad."

The girl cursed under her breath. "He's going to lose this leg, but you can't take him to the hospital."

"What-….Why?" he asked, looking at her. "He needs to get to the hospital if he's going to survive."

"Do you not know who he is?" she asked, looked up at him with the clearest eyes he had ever seen. They were faintly blue, but almost white. It unnerved him, and all he did was shake his head.

She huffed, but didn't answer her own question. "Come on, help me carry him."

"Carry him?!" Percy exclaimed. "Where?"

She looked at him again, almost symphony on her face. "You really do know nothing."

"What are you talking about?! Just tell me already!" Percy yelled.

"After we fix Nico. Now, are you helping or not?" she asked, already preparing his body for movement.

"Fine, but-…. I never said his name." Percy backed up into the seat. "How did you know it?"

She frowned, chin sticking out. "Look, I'll explain everything when we have him safe, but he's running out of time."

Percy nodded wearily, still not trusting her. He picked up the end of the blanket under Nico's head, and she got underneath the feet. Together, they hefted his body out of the car and into a dark alleyway.

Percy let her lead, only caring for Nico's safety. Finally, they came to a dumpster, which she stopped in front of. She set Nico on the ground, which Percy followed suit on. Kneeling down next to Nico, he watched as she pushed the dumpster out of the way, revealing a hole in what used to be the brick wall.

"Come on," she whispered, picking Nico back up. With Percy's help, they made it inside, where she lit a lantern on the wall before pulling the dumpster back in its usual place.

"Can you carry him from here?" she asked. "I need to carry the lantern."

Percy nodded, picking up the still body. Carefully, he followed her until they came into what looked to be a cavern. There, camped on the floor, about fifty people slept. They all looked to be in their early teens, except one who sat in the back, as if on watch. His eyes followed the girl as she walked in, and they landed on Percy. When he saw the boy in his arms, he shot up on his feet.

"Don't wake the others." he whispered as he followed her to a space on the floor, where she motioned for Percy to lay him down. He did so, looking up at the boy.

"Your name?" he asked.

"Percy, Percy Jackson." he answered. "May I ask your's?"

The boy stole a quick glance at the girl before answering. "Just call me Raven."

"Ok…" Percy muttered, not realizing why they wouldn't give their names away. "What about you?"

"Me?" the girl asked, not even looking up from where she worked on Nico's leg. "The name's Ainslic."

"That's your real name?" Percy asked.

Ainslic glared up at him. "That's what I said, wasn't it?"

Percy looked away from her eyes. "Um, yeah, right."

"That's what I thought." she muttered. "Raven, we're going to have to amputate the leg."

"Already preparing it." he answered, using the blanket to wipe away as much blood as possible. "There's about nothing left of this thigh. It's totally torn to pieces."

Percy, unable to do anything as the adrenaline wore off and the shock set in, leaned back against the wall and watched as the two fussed over Nico. Then, all at once, a thought occurred to him.

"Why do you care so much about Nico?" Percy asked. He got no answer, but didn't ask again. He was too scared.

"You've got you're knife on you?" Raven asked, looking at the Ainslic. She nodded, handing him a small penknife.

When Percy realized what they were about to do, his heart dropped. "You're cutting off his leg, right here?"

Ainslic looked back at him, eyes blazed with fury. "Why don't you just shut up and let us save you're friend, okay?"

"He's not my friend…" Percy muttered. "Just my cousin."

"That explains it." Ainslic whispered to Raven, who nodded, carefully using the knife to cut through the bone on Nico's leg. When he was all the way through he cut the skin from the bottom away and looked up at Ainslic.

"Done," he whispered, handing her the bloody knife. She took it and wiped in on her shorts before putting it back in a pocket.

Raven lifted the leg away from Nico and put it to the side before using the blanket to wrap around the leg. He looked up at Ainslic, who must have known what he was going to ask. She got up off the ground and softly padded to one of the teens, gently shaking them on the shoulder. Up in an instant, wide awake, looked around until she saw Nico.

"What happened?" she asked, coming over and kneeling down. "Ainslic, go get my sewing supplies."

Ainslic, who hadn't complained the whole time, just got up and went to get it. Percy wondered why she let herself get pushed around, turning into the outsider in a matter of minutes.

She brought the pack back quietly and stood off to the side as she watched the girl stitch up the end of Nico's leg, which soon stooped bleeding as it was done.

"You did it!" Percy whispered. He regretted it, however, when the girl turned around.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Percy Jackson." Raven answered for him. "Nico's cousin. He and Ainslic brought him in."

"Percy, can you tell me how Nico got shot?" she asked coldly.

"H-His father." Percy replied. "Nico didn't tell me why."

"His father did this?" Raven asked. He stood up, but the girl held his leg, forcing him to sit back down.

"Don't yet." she replied. "We need to initiate Percy."

"What? Initiate? What do you mean?" Percy asked. "I'm not joining anything."

"You have seen our hide out, know some of our names. You either join us and take our pledge or you die. It's up to you. Either way, you're not leaving tonight." the girl smiled crudely.


	4. Transformed So Coldly Into Stone

Chapter 4- "Transformed So Coldly Into Stone."

"He's confused!" Ainslic spoke up. "He has no idea of who we are or who his cousin is! Aren't you going to let Nico explain it to him before you kill him?"

The girl glared at Ainslic, but Raven did not. Instead, he put a hand on her shoulder before looking up at Ainslic. "You're thinking we should let Nico explain it to him when he wakes up, so it might make more sense?"

"Exactly." Ainslic agreed. "I mean, obviously we have to keep him until then."  
"Defiantly." Raven replied. He looked Percy in the eyes. "If you want to go lay by your cousin for the night, that's fine. We won't stop you. Just stay there, okay? Nico will explain everything when he wakes up."

Percy nodded. "What about my mother? She's going to worry."

"Son, if you even have a mother, _you_ don't need to worry." Raven replied.

Percy didn't understand, but went over to Nico, laying beside his cousin. Ever since Nico was little, Percy had treated him like a little brother. He had protected him against everything. But now, in the damp cave-like structure, he strongly believed that the only reason he was alive was because of Nico's presence. He curled up on the other side of his cousin, making sure to stay close to him. He was his protection, after all.

Percy woke up some time later, shivering against the cold. He didn't open his eyes , however, knowledgeable of the people moving about him. He could hear their footsteps as the walked through the cave, the sounds echoing through. They talked as if they had just woken up, and Percy could smell food cooking. He rolled over to where he knew Nico lay, silently stretching his hand out until he touching the body of his cousin. He found his hand and grabbed it, needing any kind of comfort and security he could find.

Percy inched his eyes open, jumping with surprise as he saw Nico staring back at him. His face was paler than he had ever seen it, lips reddened incredibly. His face was crouched up in pain, but he was aware of his surroundings. He squeezed Percy's hand in his own, creating what he hoped would settle Percy down.

"Percy, how did we get here?" Nico whispered. His eyes were darting around, like he always did when he was nervous.

"You were unconscious." Percy explained. "The gas ran out, and that girl found us. Ainslic, I think. She brought us back here. Nico, where am I?"

Nico sighed deeply, closing his eyes before reopening them. "You do need an explanation, huh?"

Percy nodded eagerly.

"Well, as you have probably guessed, this is a gang. The Rebel per l'umanita." Nico answered.

"How do they know you?" Percy's voice broke. He was close to tears from fear, but didn't want to admit it.

Nico's black orbs stared into his own green oceans. "I'm one of them."

"W-What do you mean?" Percy stuttered.

"I mean exactly what I said. I'm part of them, Percy. I'm in a gang. Is that such a big shocker to you? Where do you think I get any food at all? If it wasn't for them, I would have been dead a long time ago." Nico answered.

Percy's lip trembled. "So they won't kill us?"

"They won't kill me." Nico answered. "You need to join us if you're going to survive."

"What?" Percy asked. "No, I can't do that."

"Percy, how can we be sure that you won't tell anything about us?" Nico asked.

"Because I won't!" Percy's voice rose. "You know that!"  
"Shut up." Nico hissed. "Look, I can try to talk to them. Just, ask Raven to come here."

"Me?" Percy asked. "Why me?"

"Because I can't move." Nico gestured toward what used to be his leg.

Percy gulped nervously. "Oh, god. Why me? Why me?"

He sat up nervously, looking at the ones before him. Most of them had cleared out, but there was still about ten people there. Raven saw him before he even said anything. He started to walk over, face relaxing when he saw that Nico was awake.

"How are you doing, Nico?" he asked, kneeling down beside him. "In too much pain?"

"Nothing I can't handle." Nico answered. "Have I missed anything?"

"The Stingers are in a fury about Italï." Raven answered. "We're waiting for something from them."

"What did she do, now?" Nico asked.

"Italï? She tried stealing that freaking marijuana from them again." Raven answered.

"She was clean for _so long_." Nico voice dropped as his disappointment showed.

"She still is," Raven answered. "She didn't get any. They caught her in time."

"Thank god." Nico answered. "Why was she so close, though? Anything happen?"

Raven shrugged. "You know her. She's not stable. I'm not going to let her out today at all. If I did, she would get killed."

"Almost defiantly." Nico agreed. "Are you thinking a rumble?"

"Probably." Raven answered. "If there is, she ain't fighting in it. That's for sure. You aren't either."

"I can get a prosthetic." Nico replied.

"And where are you going to get that?" Raven asked.

"I don't know! But I have to do something! I can't go home like this!" Nico answered.

"Then just don't go home at all." Raven replied. "Just stay here like the rest of us."

"And what good am I going to do you guys if all I do is lay here and take up space?" Nico asked. "I need to do something about it. Maybe find a crutch or something."

"We can think about that later." Raven replied. "Besides, you did enough to stay in here."

Nico's eyes glazed down, guilt washing over his face. "I told you not to remind me."

"Why? You should be proud of it!" Raven expressed.

"Yeah? Well, I'm not." Nico growled. "I'm not like you. I don't enjoy jail, or Hell."

Raven shook his head. "Anyways, what are we going to do about your cousin?"

Nico looked over at Percy, like he had forgotten he was there. "He's not going to tell anybody, Raven."

"We can't be sure." Raven argued. "I don't trust him with my life!"

"I do!" Nico replied. "He is a good guy, which is another reason why he _shouldn't_ join us. He goes to church, get's all A's. His mother would have a heart attack if he kissed a girl! I'll stand for him! If he tells, then you kill us both."

Raven stared at him. "You really want to stand for him? Are you _sure_?"

"I'm positive." Nico answered. "I _know_ him."

"Fine." Raven muttered. "Fine. I'll have somebody walk him back to his house, if he wants. But he should get out of here before I change my mind."  
"Wait!" Percy interrupted. Both boys stared at him. "Look, can't Nico say that he's me, and get a prosthetic?"

Raven looked over at Nico. "That could work."

Nico sighed. "Only if you really think I should."

Raven nodded. "Sweet. Ok, Percy, you going to help me carry him?"

"All the way to the hospital?" Percy gulped.

Raven nodded. "It's not that far. Are you coming?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, I'll help you."


	5. Getting the Money

Chapter 5-

It was hard to convince them about Nico being Percy, but it worked in the end after they saw the stump that used to be Nico's leg. Immediately, they took Nico into surgery, leaving Raven, Ainslic, and Percy in the waiting room, with nothing to do but sit in silence.

Throughout the whole operation, Percy could not sit still. Raven and Ainslic started to have a quiet conversation amongst themselves, leaving Percy to pace by himself. His mind reeled, and the thought of losing his cousin made him sick to his stomach.

"Percy," Raven called out. "Me and Ainslic are needed somewhere. We'll be back as soon as possible."

"Your leaving?" Percy asked.

"It won't be for too long." Ainslic replied. "We should be back before Nico's out. If we're still gone, just go in without us. We'll find you."

"But _don't_ leave the hospital." Raven put in. "At all. Not for any costs. You hear me?"

"Yeah" Percy sighed. "Am I aloud to call my mom, though? Tell her I'm at a friend's and not to worry?"

Raven nodded. "Defiantly. We don't need a search on our hands."

Percy nodded, watching them leave the hospital, Raven talking quickly in Ainslic's ear. At first, she tried to protest to what he was saying, but ended up not. Percy didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but he knew he didn't like it.

Raven and Ainslic exited the hospital, careful to avoid anyone that might recognize the gang symbols that dominated both of his eyes. When they were well out of earshot, he began to tell Ainslic the plan, who refused to do it. After a couple minutes, he got her to agree, because she knew not to argue with him.

It was about noon on a Saturday, and Raven did _not_ like it. Walking down those streets in broad daylight, he was just thankful that it was their gang's territory. Yet, police could spot them at any time, and he had a warrant out for his arrest (stealing a police officer's gun when he wasn't looking).

Raven pulled the paper out from his pocket, rechecking the address to make sure he had the right one. When he was sure he did, he looked back up at what could almost be described as a mansion. The house was large, bigger then any other's of the gang. Laughing under his breath, he and Ainslic went up to the door, knocking loudly.

A woman opened the door, her sixteen year old son right behind her. When he saw who it was, his face immediately fell.

"And what can I do for you both?" the woman asked, frowning in Raven's direction. His hood was up over his eyes, but the bottoms of the tattoos were sticking out, and everyone knew them.

"We were assigned a book report together, for school!" the boy said, coming down the stars. "We were just going to work on it in my room."

"They go to your school, Isaiah?" she asked. "I've never seen them before."

"Well, you know," Raven interjected. "Goode high school's a big place. Justin Bieber could go there for all we know."

"That would be a shame if he did." Ainslic said.  
Isaiah cleared his throat, gesturing upstairs. "You guys coming in or not?"

"Yeah, yeah." Raven answered. "We're coming."

Sighing, Isaiah led them up the stairs.

They walked into his room, finding his twin brother, Drake, marching around with a recorder in hand, poorly playing Yankee Doodle. He stopped when he saw them, dropping the recorder to the floor.

Isaiah closed the door, facing the two, face dead serious. "What did we do?"

"You didn't do anything." Raven replied. "We just have a favor to ask you. Actually, it's for Nico."

"What's wrong with Nico?" Drake asked, sitting down on his bed.

"His father shot him, in the leg." Raven explained. "We want to get him a prosthetic, but we need at least ten thousand dollars."

" _At least_." Ainslic repeated. "You guys are the ones with the money."

Isaiah put a hand up to his head. "I'll see how much I can get from my parents, but I'm guessing it's going to be around five thousand. You are going to have to get the other five K."

Raven nodded. "Great. Nice doing business with you."

"Yeah, yeah, you too." Isaiah answered. "Just sneak out, okay? Book reports don't take that short of time."

"Got it." Raven replied. "See ya,"

Him and Ainslic left, leaving the twins, once again, alone.

Percy was drinking the _worst_ hospital coffee ever when the doctor came out, telling him that the operation was done, and that he could go see him. Percy immediately said yes, following the doctor into Nico's room.

Nico was out cold, laying in the hospital bed with IV's in both arms. His face had more color to it, and seemed pretty okay. He had a sheet over him, so Percy couldn't tell what the prosthetic looked like.

"So, he's really okay?" Percy asked. "When will he be able to walk again?"

"It's hard to say," the doctor answered. "But at least two months. Probably more than that."

Percy's face fell. "That long?"

"I'm sorry, but yes, I'm afraid so." he replied. "I'll leave you alone with your friend for right now."  
The doctor left, leaving Percy once again alone with Nico. He sat in the chair next to his bed, putting a hand over Nico's. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, but only let go when Raven and Ainslic entered.


	6. Aching Stomachs

Chapter 6-

"Is he okay?" Raven asked Percy, more concerned then he had ever seen him. He came into the room quickly, sitting on his other side.

"The doctor said he is going to be fine." Percy answered. "He's just going to be off his feet for a couple months."

Raven's face fell. "Oh, ok. So he's going to be here for awhile…. I won't be able to come a lot. With my warrant and stuff.."

Ainslic gave him a knowing look, which Percy could not ignore. Something was going on with Raven, but of course, he wasn't told what.

"I can keep him company." Percy replied, trying to make Raven feel better. "I can come here all the time after school. He won't get lonely."

"Yeah, I guess that's okay." Raven muttered, sounding like it _wasn't_ okay. "I'm going to stay as long as I can tonight."

"Me, too." Ainslic agreed, sitting at the end of his bed. She squeezed his left foot with her hand (the un-prosthetic one), griping it like a lifeline, as if to comfort herself that he was still alive. "He's a good kid. He didn't deserve this."

"He didn't deserve _any_ of this…" Raven muttered, but Percy heard him. He looked at him questionably, but Raven wasn't looking his way. Instead, he was gazing down at Nico with a look in his eyes. Percy wasn't sure what emotion was showing, but he was sure he had seen it before.

After about a half an hour, a nurse came in telling them that visiting hours were over. When they were leaving, she caught sight of Raven's tattoos and visibly paled. Ainslic laughed quietly under her breath at the nurse's reaction, but Raven wasn't in the mood to joke around. His grim face made it look like Nico had actually died.

When they were walking out of the hospital, it was around dusk, but the city was still as alive as ever. Raven and Ainslic led the way, cutting through so many alleys that Percy lost track after awhile. They finally made it back to the one alley that Percy did remember. Raven and Ainslic moved the dumpster out of the way, and together, for the second time, he made his way into the whole and into the gang's hideout.

What Percy assumed to be the whole gang was there, doing their own things. Most kept to themselves, but there was some small groups crowded together. When they saw Raven, all heads shot up and everyone came to attention.

"We always have two leaders." Ainslic whispered in Percy's ear. "Raven has been leader for about four years. Everyone likes him in his role. That girl that died, though, Kathy, was also a leader, but everybody hated her. She was mean, cold. She didn't take care of us like she was supposed to."  
"So I'm guessing you guys were glad another gang killed her?" Percy asked, glancing over at her. Raven was talking to the gang, but Percy didn't need to listen, because it was basically about all that had happened with him and Nico.

"Another gang? Is that what everybody thinks?" Ainslic asked. "Is that what the news is telling people?"

"It's kind of what everyone assumed…" Percy replied. "Why? What happened?"

Ainslic sighed. "Because, son, it was one of us."

Percy didn't say anything after that, scared about how calm these people were about murder. Ainslic had seemed pretty okay to him, but the way she had asked those questions….they wanted their gang to be known for the murder. She didn't find it bad at all. So, who was stopping her from killing him?

"So, anyways." Raven continued, finishing his story, "Percy is going to stay with us for dinner, but afterwards, he's going back home."

Immediately, protests began. Raven silenced them with a wave of his hand, however.

"Nico stood for him." Raven said, causing every protest to die on their lips. Percy didn't know what it meant to stand for someone, but it must have been a pretty important thing. "We haven't done the official thing yet, but their lives bind together, their blood now flows as one."

Now, Percy was _overly_ confused. His head felt like it was going to burst from all the things that were going on, but he bit his tongue, knowing that it was the wrong time to ask questions.

"Now, we must all eat." Raven said. "We all need our strength. The Stingers are at large again. They are getting bolder each day."

Muttering started, and Percy saw a lot of glares land on Ainslic. He hadn't been around the gang for long, but Percy was getting the impression that the only ones that liked Ainslic were Raven and Nico. He felt bad for her, but in his position, he couldn't do anything.

Raven glared back at those who looked at Ainslic, but didn't say anything about it. He was their leader, after all, and he needed to stand with _all_ of his people, not just Ainslic. Percy wished, however, that he would have done something. Seeing Ainslic's downcast gaze, he knew that she was hurt by the others. He would have been, too.

When Percy ate next to Raven and Ainslic, he realized how little of food they had. Everyone had a fruit, either a plum, banana, tangerine, or orange. Also, they had the littlest slab of beef Percy had ever seen.

Before even touching his food, Percy looked over at Raven, who gave all of his food to one of the littlest gang members, who was still hungry. Judging by their faces, Percy could tell this happened almost all the time.

When Raven saw him looking at him, he sighed. "Percy, I'm their leader. That means I am responsible for all of them. If they are hungry, then I do not eat. Their needs are before mine. Justin is only ten. He has no family, no home. He was near death from starvation when I found him. I can't let him go hungry."

"Then take mine." Percy replied, passing his food over to Raven. "I have food at home. You need it the most. You can't be their leader if you are too weak from starvation. When was the last time you ate?"

Raven looked him over, as if seeing that he was serious. "A couple days, but it's nothing. I've gone without food longer."

Percy handed over the food that Raven had passed back to him. "Eat, now. If your planning on fighting, then you need to be strong, to protect the others."

Percy didn't know what part had gotten through to Raven, but he finally excepted the food that Percy handed him. He felt bad that he didn't have any more to give to Raven, but he guessed that what he did give him should last him.

"Percy, do you have any other questions about how we run things here?" Raven asked after he had finished his food.

Percy nodded, picking one from thousands of them. "Do all of them have no home?"

"Most." Raven answered. "Some do. They usually sleep and eat there. But everyone you see here do not have a home to go to. They sleep here, and whatever we provide is there only food. I try to get blankets and pillows for them, but there is just not enough to go around. Money is scarce, and stealing is getting harder than it once was. Besides, I can barely show my face anywhere without the cops being called."

Percy looked over the gang, seeing how worn out they all looked. Some were as little as Justin, some smaller. One girl, about nineteen, held a baby in her arms, wailing from the cold and hunger. She couldn't do anything, however, but rock it and hold it close to her chest.

"It that that girl's baby?" Percy asked, pointed to the girl.

A sad look crossed Raven's face. "Yes. The father died, and she was left by herself. Her name's Arlington. She named the baby Nicole, after Nico. He helped her a lot, taking her places and getting milk for the baby. But now that he's gone….. I don't know what she's going to do."

Percy was suddenly overcome with how bad their situation really was. Everywhere he looked, someone was sick, or a child was holding their stomach in hunger. He didn't know how Raven could handle that everyday, especially knowing that he was supposed to take care of them. They were his responsibility.

"I'm going to come by tomorrow with as much blankets as I can find." Percy said, no room for argument. "And I'm going to see if I can get milk for the baby. Just, don't tell her. I want her to be surprised."

Raven smiled, the first genuine one he had seen from him. "Thank you, Percy. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Percy looked down, not used to being praised. "Hey, don't mention it. You guys deserve it."

Raven, still smiling, stood up, holding a hand out for Percy. "I'm guessing you have been aching for your bed. Me and Ainslic will walk you home."

Percy took his hand, standing up and facing Ainslic, who was laying on the floor.

"Why do you always volunteer me for things?" Ainslic asked Raven, standing up.

"Because," Raven said. "Do you really want me to leave you here alone? Besides, you are one of the only ones here that Percy knows."

"Fine," Ainslic sighed, following them out of the gang's base.

They walked through the streets of New York, Raven and Ainslic on either side of him.

 _'They're like guards.'_ Percy realized. _'They think I'm in danger.'_

The thought dawned on Percy, and he realized he _was_ in danger. After having ties to this gang, the other could hurt him. Percy was scared for his mother, and for his friends. What if their was another drive-by, and he was the prime target? What if one of them got hit for him.

They finally reached his apartment, Raven and Ainslic stopping outside the doors. They were huddled in only T-shirts and jeans, freezing from the Autumn weather, especially with the sun down.

"Do you guys want to come inside?" Percy offered. "You guys could warm up, and get something to eat. You guys look frozen to death, and you need to walk all the way back."

"I'm sorry, Percy, but we cannot except." Raven apologized. "We really must be getting back. It is not safe to stay out this late."

"Not to mention Raven is furious." Ainslic cut in. "He would not do good sitting in close quarters."

"Furious? At what?" Percy asked, looking over at the black haired boy.

"Nico's father." Raven hissed from between his teeth. Percy hadn't noticed it before, but Raven's face was scrunched up from, anger. He must have thought it was from cold. "That lying, no good-"

"He's a very bad man," Ainslic cut off Raven's cursing. "Come on, Raven, we need to go. Goodbye, Percy. See you soon."

"Yeah, see you." Percy half waved before heading into the apartment building. All night, he had the sickest feeling in his stomach. He felt sick, like he was going to throw up. He didn't get much sleep, but the next day was a Sunday, so he didn't worry that much.

That was until the next morning, when Nico's father was found dead, a pocketknife in his stomach.


	7. Giving

Chapter 7-

Percy's mom was gone for the day, working. His step-father, Paul, was working on his new classroom at the school, leaving Percy alone. As quickly as possible, he gathered up as much spare blankets as he could find, putting them into two large garbage bags. After that, he filled two of his old baby bottles with milk from his fridge, careful to screw them on tight before also putting those in one of the bags. He then got some of his old jackets he had grown out of, since the winter was coming.

Percy walked back to the gang's hideout, finding it easier than expected. He put the bags down by his feet, careful to make sure no one was looking before moving the dumpster and entering the cave-like structure.

The first one he saw was Raven, who was chasing around a large German Sheppard, who had a large piece of fabric in it's mouth. Some of the others were helping, but most were laughing at it. The dog came bounding at Percy, who hit a spot by it's legs to make it sit. It did, laying down by Percy's feet. Carefully, Percy got the fabric out of its mouth.

"How did you do that?!" Raven asked, out of breath. He ran up to Percy, hands on his knees.

"I, um, have a dog." Percy replied, looking at the fabric he pulled out of the dog's mouth. "Where did he get someone's underwear?"

"I don't know who's they are." Raven replied, eyeing the bags by Percy. "But I couldn't let him eat them. What's in the bags?"

"Stuff." Percy replied, pulling the bags into the cave more. He sat down next to Ainslic, who looked disappointed that he had stopped the dog.

"It was hilarious watching him try to catch Gerard!" Ainslic protested. "Why did you stop him?!"

"That was not funny!" Raven replied, also sitting down. "I want to see you do it, then."  
"No way." she shook her head. "You brought the dog in, you chase after it. I want no part in it."

"What, are you scared of dogs?" Raven asked.

"Well, maybe I am!" Ainslic crossed her arms. "But I'm more interested in what Percy brought us."  
"Eh, me too." Percy agreed, opening the first bag. He started to pull out the blankets, setting them down in front of Raven, who's eyes were wide in wonderment.

"You did not have to bring these, Percy." Raven said. "It's too much."

"No, it's not." Percy replied. "It's not _enough_. Look how many people sleep here. Winter's coming."

Raven sighed. "Ok, fine. What else do you have?"

Percy handed him the two bottles of milk, each filled to the brim. He then took out the rest of the blankets and jackets.

"You know who needs them, so you give them out." Percy said.

Raven bit his lip, staring at all the stuff piled in front of him. "Arlington! Justin! Come here!"

They both walked up, Arlington holding the crying baby tightly. Raven handed her the two bottles of milk, telling her that it was Percy who brought him. First, she hugged Raven, then went and hugged Percy. Raven then handed her a blanket for herself and then wrapped the baby up in the warmest jacket. He then handed another jacket to Justin, who seemed to fit it perfectly.

He then continued to give out the stuff, first to the littlest kids and then making his way up. To Ainslic he handed over a jacket. It was very thin, but she seemed happy about it.

Raven didn't give anything to himself.

"You're going to need something, too." Percy said. "You need to think about yourself, too, Raven."

"He's right, Raven." Ainslic agreed. "There's one jacket left. You take it."

"I was saving it for Nico." he replied. He had lost all his happiness, becoming moody.

"Nico's going to be warm, in the hospital." Percy said.

"Yeah?!" Raven's head shot up, his eyes angry. "How do you know that?! What if he's freezing to death right now?!"

Before Percy could respond, a teenage girl came running in, a panicked look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Raven asked, jumping to his feet.

"The cops are looking for you." she said. "They know your in here. They've got that warrant, for the gun you stole. They want you to come out without a weapon."

"And if I don't?" Raven asked.

"They said they'll take the rest of us in for questioning, and they'll get in here." she replied.

Raven looked over at Ainslic, who sat with her jacket wrapped tightly around her.

"You are going to act as leader until I get back." he said. "Arlington, you're going to help her. Everyone needs to stay as far away from the Stingers from possible and lay low for awhile. Okay?"

"You're just going to let them arrest you?" Percy asked, standing up. He looked down at Ainslic, who looked ready to cry.

"I'll be back in a couple of months." Raven replied. "Maybe a year. Who knows? I mean, it's not like I'm being arrested for murder."

He said it as a joke, but his eyes showed otherwise. Deep inside, Percy knew that it was Raven that had killed Nico's father, and Ainslic did too. She sharply took in breath, clenching her jacket closer to her.

And then Raven left, leaving Percy alone with only Ainslic to protect him from the gang that surrounded.

Nico did not take the news too well.

"He's an idiot!" Nico cried out, sitting up in his bed. "An _idiot_!"

"I know, I know." Percy said, leaning back in his chair.

"No, you don't know!" Nico replied. "He thinks that jail is going to be fun, but when he gets out, he's not going to be the same. People change in jail, Percy!"  
"He's not even going to be in there for that long!" Percy defended, but Nico wasn't listening.

"I'll never see him again….." Nico said. "Oh, god!"

He choked back a sob, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Nico…?" Percy asked, sitting beside him on the bed. "What do you mean?"

Nico shook his head miserably. "I'll never be able to see him again… And he doesn't know….."

"Doesn't know what?" Percy asked. "If you want, I can go visit him in the jail, tell him something for you."

"No, I need to tell him myself." Nico replied. "I've just never had the courage….. It's so looked down on. What is he going to think…..?"

Now, Percy was totally lost. Nico was basically talking to himself, leaving Percy to just watch as the tears began to fall down the younger boy's cheeks.

"Nico….just tell me if I can help you in any way." Percy said.

Nico shook his head violently. "Just….go away Percy."

Months went by with no sign of Raven. Eventually, it was time for Nico to come out of the hospital. Percy went to pick him up, making sure to drive this time. When he got into Nico's hospital room, he was already dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt. He had no shoes, so Percy could see the prosthetic foot sticking out from his pant leg.

"You ready?" Percy asked, voice monotone. He wasn't very excited, even though he should have been. Nico could come out, but that meant that he would have to live in the cold. He refused to go back home. Also, Percy knew that nobody was dealing well with Raven gone. In fact, it seemed to get worse as each day went by.

"Yeah, I'm ready. I need to check up on everybody." Nico replied, sitting up. He grabbed a single crutch to help him walk before standing up. He had been getting better while walking around the hospital, but he still needed the extra help.

Percy nodded, leading Nico out of the hospital for the first time in four months. Nico stopped for a minute, taking in everything around him, oblivious to the cold January air.

"You coming?" Percy called out, turning around to look at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Nico caught up with him, limping the whole way. Percy knew it would be a while until he was totally used to his leg, but he was making progress, and fast.

When they got back to the gang's hideout, Ainslic automatically hugged Nico, not letting go for a full minute. When he finally got her off of him, she began to tell him all that had happened.

"Do you think Raven's okay?" Nico asked, sitting himself down on the floor.

Ainslic shook her head. "I don't know….. The news said they think he is responsible for your dad's murder and Kathy's."

"What?" Nico asked, voice growing cold. "Are they going to testify him for it?"

"I don't know, but we have to stop them." Ainslic replied. "You know we do."

Nico looked back at Percy. "Listen to me, Percy. I know you don't like to get involved in things, and I know you don't believe in harming anybody, but you have to listen to me."

"Okay….?" Percy asked, heart sinking. He did not like where this was going.

"You need to come down to that jail with us," Nico started, "And keep him away from that trail. We can _not_ let him go down for those murders. We _can't_."

Percy felt dread welling up inside him. He didn't know what they were going to do, but he knew blood was going to be shed, he knew it.

"You coming or not?" Nico asked, already at the door with Ainslic, who had a gun in her hand.

The same one Raven stole from the cop.

Percy followed them, praying the whole way. He knew that that would be the last day he would see somebody he cared about, he _knew_ it. And that scared him so badly he almost turned and ran. Almost. He kept going, though, for them. After knowing these people for so long, they were like family to him. And losing family members was what he feared most.


	8. Breaking Out

_**A.N: This chapter may be a little confusing with how fast it moves, so I'm sorry. But there is a character death, so bare with me.**_

Chapter 8-

By the time they got to the jail, Percy was seriously rethinking his decision.

Nico had also pulled a gun out, though Percy had no clue on where it came from. One minute, he just had it in his hand, and Percy had learned months ago not to question anybody in this gang. Every single one had tricks up there sleeves, and they would die for each other.

Except for Kathy.

Raven had killed for Nico. Nico had stolen for Arlington's baby. Ainslic had stolen for _everybody_. Kathy was murdered for the bringing up of the gang, and Percy was slowly getting an idea of who did it.

Somehow Ainslic go them in, and they carefully started to make their way down the halls, doing their best to go around the security guards. Yet, because of the security cameras, the alarms were soon going off.

They started to sprint, Percy barely being able to breathe. His heart was pounding so fast that his lungs were about to burst. He continued to run, though, holding onto his chest with his arms.

Nico stumbled in front of him, falling onto all fours. Percy crouched down next to him, but he couldn't help him on his own. He called Ainslic, who ran back and got one arm while Percy got the other. Together, they stumbled with Nico who did his best to walk on his leg, but failed ultimately.

"Just go without me." Nico said, noticed how he was slowing them down. He could hear the guards behind them, boots clattering against the steal floor.

"We never leave a man behind." Ainslic said in between breaths. "We need to hurry and find Raven's cell."

"We need to go up stairs." Percy replied. They made their way to the stairs, but saw that it was heavily guarded by guards. They slide behind the wall, where Ainslic slide Nico down to the ground and put the gun facing the guards, shooting blindly.

"Ow!" she yanked her arm back, clenching her hand to her chest. She hissed out in pain. "They got my hand."

"With a bullet?!" Percy asked. The guards were still firing, the gunshots echoing throughout the jail.

"No, with an apple." Nico replied sarcastically, standing himself up. He switched places with Ainslic so he was at the edge of the wall. Around the corner from the wall was were Ainslic was shooting and where the staircase was. He continued to do what Ainslic was doing, shooting blinding so he wouldn't put himself in harm's way.

Percy looked down at Ainslic, who tore the end of her pant leg off and started to wrap it around her hand. It was bleeding and mangled, her dominate hand out of commission.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked.

"I've got it." Ainslic replied. "Look, our lives are expendable, but we need to get Raven and Nico out of this, alive."

"Why them, and not us?" Percy asked, helping Ainslic up.

"Because," she said, staring into Percy's eyes. "They've got the secret. We don't."

"Excuse me?" Percy asked. But before Ainslic could respond, however, she was cut off by Nico's loud curse.

Nico flung himself away from the wall and toward them more. Grabbing both of their hands, he yanked them away without explanation and down another hall. They passed a guard, who Nico shot in his gun arm, so he couldn't stop them. They continued past him, Percy silently apologizing.

"There has to be another staircase." Nico breathed out. "Anyone know one?"

No one answered, so they continued to run around the prison, turning so much that Percy lost track of where anything was.

"Duck!" Ainslic yelled, tackling them all to the ground as bullets whizzed above their head. Percy could feel the top of his hair cut off with a bullet, leaving a slight pain. Not giving them any time to recover, Ainslic pulled them into another hallway. For the first time in awhile, they had luck, and they found a staircase.

Percy had never run up a staircase so fast in his life. Grateful to finally be getting closer to Raven and closer to being out of there, he rushed as fast as he could go, unaware that Ainslic was struggling with Nico behind him.

The second floor was like the first, with steel floor and guards wherever you looked. They quickly his behind a wall, more bullets almost hitting them. Percy had never been so close to death so many times, especially not in one day. Yet, looking at Ainslic, he could see a smile on her face, and could tell that she enjoyed it. She was living, actually _doing_ something.

At least someone was having fun.

Rounding a couple more bends, Nico shooting a couple more people in the arms, they finally made it to Raven's jail cell, who was already working on picking the lock. When he saw them, his face brightened, especially after he saw Nico up and about.

"You came! I feel so honored!" he joked. "About time, too."

"Yeah, yeah, quit it." Nico smiled. "You're the one taking forever on that lock."

Raven faked being insulted. "Well, you, sir, have hurt my feelings."  
"Raven!" Ainslic cut in. "We really need to go! They're coming."

And she was right. Percy could hear the pounding of feet, the clicks as they took the safeties of their guns. He prayed even harder, eyes scrunched up in concentration. Yet, no matter how hard he prayed, no matter how much he planned anything, no matter how many times they had defined fate, nothing could have stopped what happened next.

As if it was in slow motion, Percy watched as the guards came into view the same time Raven got out of his cell. They started to run, Percy looking behind him to make sure the others were coming. Yet, Nico wasn't fast enough, his leg unable to go through everything it had that day. Ainslic was running to help him, but the shots were already fired.

"Keep running!" he heard Ainslic's scream. "Don't let them take it!"

In a second Ainslic was in front of Nico, right before the bullets made contact with his chest. Instead of finding their target, they hit Ainslic dead in the chest. Before the guards could fire again, Raven grabbed Nico and picked him, pure adrenaline letting him carry Nico as if he was a kitten. Percy followed, looking back as the guards just trampled over Ainslic's body….

Percy scrunched up his eyes to stop the tears from falling, but they fell anyways. All he heard was white noise, and his vision was in black and white. All he wanted to do was go back for her body, to be able to bury it, to have a real service, but he couldn't. He couldn't function. No matter how much he denied it, Ainslic was more special to him then he had thought. His chest was aching, and he was barely aware of Raven pulling his hand and the vibrations as his feet made contact with the ground.

Ainslic hadn't done anything to anybody, why had she deserved a death that was so horrific? Percy only had the world to blame, so he did. She was only seventeen years old, and she was shot ten times, saving someone she cared about. What had she meant, when she said don't let them take it?

Percy didn't remember how, but when he could see what was going on, he was in a car. His vision was blurry, but he could make out Raven in the passenger's seat, a boy he didn't know was driving. He could feel Nico's presence beside him and, was that rain? How could it rain in a car?  
Tears. It was tears. Percy was crying. Unable to do anything else, Percy continued to sob until his ribs ached. He would never see her again, never hears her laugh or her jokes. Never would he be able to talk to her.

Wasn't it so cruel how heaven didn't have a phone, so he could talk to the ones he loved, one last time? Wasn't it cruel how she had to hold them back so they could all live.

Percy never went back to the gang again.


	9. Story Telling

_**A.N: This chapter is VERY informational, and is very important to the rest of the story. So, children, pay close attention.**_

Chapter 9-

Raven's life had never been such a mess.

No matter what he did, no matter what the others did, he couldn't stop replaying that day in his mind. He thought of thousands of different scenarios, and knew, without a doubt, he could have saved Ainslic. She didn't have to die that day, but she did, and that haunted him the most.

He hadn't seen or heard from Percy since. It seemed like he had just disappeared off of the planet. Even Nico couldn't get any word from him. He didn't show up at school, nor ever again at the gang's hideout. Raven would have gone to his house himself if he could get out of his bed in the morning. Ever since Ainslic died, the growing depression he had always had came back in full swing, leaving him unable to move, barely able to breathe. All he wanted to do was die, but knew he couldn't, and Ainslic did, too. She knew that Nico and him needed to survive.

Nico….

Raven didn't know what to think of him anymore. The way Nico acted, the way he blamed himself for every single thing, it scared Raven. If Nico were to kill himself… Raven wouldn't be able to handle it. Losing one close friend was enough, but losing Nico….. He couldn't do it. Nico meant too much to him, even if Nico didn't feel the same way back. Who would? Raven was going nowhere in life, only heading a gang that shouldn't have been there. Every single person there was in danger because of him. Shouldn't he have just helped those kids find an orphanage? They would be warm, and their stomachs wouldn't be aching from the hunger….

Raven sat up so fast his head went dizzy. He had to do something to get back at them for Ainslic's death, he had to. And who better to help him than Percy Jackson?

Raven knocked loudly on the door, not caring who he woke up or who he bothered. He was sick of Percy ignoring him. Sooner or later, Percy would have to talk to him. Nobody could stay away for _that_ long. It was now February, but the cold still radiated through all of his bones. Percy needed to open the door before he froze to death.

A woman opened the door, but Raven ignored her, stalking past her and into the apartment, pulling Percy off of the couch by the front of his shirt. Dragging him towards the door, Raven heard Percy tell his mom that he was going to a friends house, but he didn't stop pulling him until they were outside the apartment and in the alley on the side.

"What was that for?" Percy asked, rubbing his neck. "What do you guys want, now? Didn't I tell you I didn't want anymore to do with this gang stuff?"

"You can't just choose when you get out of this," Raven answered. "Nobody ever really does, unless it's from death. Now, you need to listen to me."

"I'm listening." Percy crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't like it, but I am."

"I've been thinking a lot about what happened, and I'm guessing you have been, too." Raven started.

"Why are you reminding me of this?" Percy asked. "The least I asked for was to be left alone!"

"See!" Raven exclaimed. "You're still angry. I am, too. They didn't even release her body. Don't you want to get back at them?"

"Are you asking for a death wish?" Percy asked. "I mean seriously, I don't understand you guys. First, you chose to be in this gang, and you barely eat enough to survive. But that's not enough for you, is it? You need to risk your life, _again_! Even her death wasn't enough-"  
"You have _no idea_ what you're talking about!" Raven cut in, voice no longer inviting. " I didn't want to join anymore than you did! You got lucky, you didn't have to! You didn't throw you life away! But I did, and there is no taking that back. Yes, I risk my life, but that's for the welfare of my gang, my people. I'm pretty sure Ainslic would at least want her body buried. I'm doing this for Ainslic!"

"Do you really think they still have her body?" Percy asked.

"I know they do." Raven answered. "I have inside information. They have it in the autopsy, still. They think they can find out about us through it. Isn't that terrible? I can't let Ainslic's body be treated like that."

"Fine." Percy agreed. "But under one circumstance."

"What is it?" Raven asked, sighing in relief.

"Why did Ainslic tell me that you and Nico couldn't die? That you two had the 'secret'?" Percy asked, recalling that day.

Raven's face fell. "I can't tell you, Percy. There's a reason even Ainslic couldn't know."

"Then I guess you have no help." Percy replied, turning to walk away. He got halfway to the entrance to the alley before Raven called him back.

"Fine, I'll tell you!" he called. "But not here. We need to go somewhere private."

Percy turned around to face him, smiling at his victory. "I think I have a place."

Raven pulled the hood over his head, hanging it as low as possible as he followed Percy down the streets of New York. After all the news about his gang's activity, including the break out of prison and Ainslic's death, he was sure that anybody would recognize his tattoos. And that scared him so much that this way the first time he was out in daylight since Ainslic's death.

Percy entered a little café, Raven following. They sat in a booth in the back, sitting crossed from each other.

"So, you going to start talking?" Percy asked, leaning his elbows on the table.

Raven opened his mouth to answer, but stopped when the waitress came up. He automatically put his head down lower, so only his mouth showed from inside the hood.

"Can I get you two something to drink?" she asked, pulling a notepad from her pocket.

"Uh, yeah, can I have a coke, please?" Percy asked. "Raven, what about you?"

"..I…uh, don't have any money…." Raven answered.

"I'm buying." Percy stated, like it was obvious. "Just get what you want."

Raven glanced up at him and then back down at the tablecloth. "A, um, coffee is fine. Black."

"Alright," the waitress smiled. "Coming right up."

Raven lifted his head when she left, looking at Percy. "You don't have to get me anything. We're just here to talk."

"I want to get you something." Percy replied. "See it as an apology for earlier, for what I said. I know you didn't mean it."

Raven nodded. "Ok, so, back to the story. It's pretty long, so get comfortable."

"Now you see why we got drinks." Percy commented. "Ok, shoot."

"First, you need to know my back-story." Raven began. "I was born on January 28, seventeen years ago. I was an only child, and my mom and dad were pretty wealthy, so I guess I grew up pretty alright. I remember my grandfather, he would be the only one I would ever really see. My parents were always away at work, flying crossed the country for one thing or another. Anyways, it's New York, so I wasn't playing outside as a kid, so the only thing that kept me preoccupied were my grandfather's stories. Well, that's at least what I thought, _only_ stories. As you can guess, I was wrong."

He stopped when the waitress came back with their drinks.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked.

"No, we're fine." Percy answered. When she left, he turned back to Raven. "Continue."

Raven sipped at his coffee, blowing softly into it. "Okay, um, so yeah, my grandfather would always tell me these stories, in great detail and everything. The most important one is what I'm going to tell you.

"There were three men, all minors, back in 1666, in Germany. They were all alone in one of the mines, where they were put to work. They were all prisoners, and were promised freedom if they found anything worthwhile. Unknown to them, the mine had been abandoned because there _wasn't_ anything worthwhile. It was basically just a hole in the ground. But they kept digging and digging and digging, for years. The Germans would send the smallest amounts of food down, just enough for them to survive. They counted on the underground spring for water. After the fifth year, they were all ready to give up. So, they went to the entrance to ask if they could just go back to the prison.

"When the prison guards heard this, they laughed right in their faces before slamming the door in their faces. Defeated, they went back down to work again. When they went back up for their usual food, however, the door didn't open. It didn't open ever again. The Germans, for as much as they were concerned, thought that the prisoners had died of hunger, and that was what they expected.

"But that wasn't what happened. The prisoners, smart and used to the cavern below them, had the idea that the spring they had used for water for all of those years _must_ go _somewhere_. So, they packed up the rare things they had and made their way down the spring.

"The spring wasn't very deep, and could easily be wadded through. So, they did. After about an hour of going down it, they finally found a bank to rest on. So they did, sleeping for about five hours before continuing on their journey. They knew that if they were going to survive, they would need to find some kind of food. Since there was no sun, any kind of plant life was out, so they needed to find something alive. But no matter how hard they looked, they couldn't find anything.

"Finally, days later, the famished men finally found another cavern, this one larger than they had ever seen. When they started to walk, they saw that they were on a walkway, with water down below them. The fall was so far that they wouldn't be able to survive it. So, very carefully, they began to make their way crossed."

"How far was the drop?" Percy asked as Raven took a break to take a drink.

"Far." Raven half answered. "That's all granddad told me. Anyways, they were about halfway crossed when one man went down. They heard his screams, and then finally the splash as he landed of the water. They screamed down to him, asking if he was alive, but no answer came. The two left knew that they weren't going to survive mourning their friend, so they continued on."

"I think that's a lesson you should take." Percy cut in.

"You should be speaking in the mirror." Raven shot back. "Do you want to hear this story or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening." Percy apologized. "Keep going."

"Okay, anyways, the kept going, and finally reached the other side. When they did, they saw that it was a dead end, but there was a staircase embedded in the rock, leading down into what they assumed to be the water. Not knowing what else to do, the followed it.

"The staircase was very unstable, and the rocks kept slipping out and falling into the water below. Many times, the men almost fell to their deaths, but they didn't. After hours of climbing, they made it to the bottom.

"The staircase hadn't led to the water, however, but a cave right above it. Curios and not having anywhere else to go, the two men entered the cave. What they found was something none of them would have believed.

"In the middle of the cave there was an old couch, in the fashion of years before. Sitting on it, in plain sight, was a large chest. It was rectangular shaped, however, and when the went up to it, was stuck to the couch.

"Looking around the room for some kind of key, they saw that the walls had once been decorated with paintings and canvases. On one wall, they found a picture of the same exact chest, on the couch, with two men that looked strangely like them, standing in front of it. When they looked closer, they saw that it was, indeed, them, their ragged clothes and everything.

"Thinking that the painting must have been some kind of clue, they looked over every inch of it to see if it showed any signs of a key, but it didn't. No matter how much they looked, it seemed to be as if there wasn't a key. Until, after another good hour, they found an imprint in the wall, right where the chest was painted. They dug through with one of their knives, and found the key.

"When they opened the chest with the key, they found something they had always dreamed of. It was filled with diamonds and gold, to the brim. That was what interested them, even though what they should have been paying attention to was the paper at the bottom. They didn't figure that out.

"Whey they had opened it with the key, it also became loose from the couch. So, doing what any normal person would, they took it with them. And finally, when they emerged in Italy, they flew to the US, and started a new life here. They never spent the jewels, however, because they believed them to be cursed. One of the men died forty years later, leaving the remaining one with full custody of the box and its treasure. He hid it in his attic, and soon forgot about its existence. The house remained in the family's name for years. The end of the story that he told me."

Percy took a drink of his pop. "Okay, so, three men went underground and two came out with the treasure. One survived and it is n the attic of his family's house. I'm guessing he's dead."

"You guessed right." Raven admitted, watching as a boy around twelve entered the shop. He caught Raven's attention because of his clothes, which were the weirdest thing he had ever seen. Made from a fabric he had never seen, they were woven in an almost spider-like movement. In his arms was a little girl, no older than three.

"Raven, you there?" Percy asked, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Yeah," Raven shook his head, refocusing on the conversation. "When I was twelve, my granddad died. After his funeral, I came home, and for some reason, just felt like exploring the house. I couldn't explain it, and still can't, but the feeling was so overpowering that I complied. I began to look through everything, tearing apart the house I had grown up in. Finally, it was time for the attic. You should guess what happened next."

Percy shook his head. "I'm still trying to put the other part together."

"I found the treasure." Raven smiled. "I found it, in my attic, and I read what that paper was…. Man, did I get in over my head."


	10. Trust Me

_**A.N: Thank you for the reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me. And I will answer your questions.**_

 _ **Obviously, this gang is going through a lot, so they aren't really concerned with that second leader, even though that will become an issue in the future. Nico and Raven DO have feelings for each other, and I'm glad you caught on. Each one doesnt know it yet. Raven will explain where they got the rest of the money, and what Nico has been doing.**_

Chapter 10-"You're joking." Percy put down his coke. "What did it say? How important was it?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you." Raven apologized. "I _can't_ , Percy!"

"Then how does Nico know?!" Percy interjected. "You had to have told him!"

"Percy," Raven shook his head. "The story isn't finished. There is still more about that."

"Then tell me." Percy replied. "What are you holding back for?"

"You think this is easy, telling you all of this?!" Raven asked. "God, you don't even know my real name!"

"Raven isn't your real name?" Percy asked, eyes widening in shock.

Raven grimaced. "I did not mean to let that slip."

"But you did!" Percy protested. "Come on, you can tell me!"  
"Not yet." Raven said. "I'll tell the story, but not that. Even Nico doesn't know that."

"Fine." Percy gave up. "Back to story time."

"The second man, that died after they had made it to America, he was Nico's great great great-"

"Ok, I get it." Percy interfered. "And I'm guessing the third was your's?"

Raven nodded. "Since he was related to Nico, I had to tell him about it. Technically, the treasure is Nico's and mine. He also has a part in it."

"So Ainslic refused to let Nico die, because he knew what a paper said?" Percy asked. "Are you serious?"

"It's not just a paper!" Raven exclaimed. "I thought I told you that!"

"It's a _paper_ , Raven." Percy said coldly. "It can be replaced."

"No, it can't!" Raven shot back. His hands were clenching the tablecloth tightly. "Will you stop it?!"

Percy drained his coke. "Look, I'm not sitting here while we talk about a paper."

"I swear to god, if you say that one more time-"

" _Paper_!" Percy spat. " _Paper_ , _paper_ ,-"

"It was a _riddle_!" Raven cried out, banging his fists down on the table. As soon as he realized what he did, however, he immediately regretted it.

"Oh, so what kind of riddle was it?" Percy asked.

"I hate you…." Raven muttered. "It was a riddle, telling us where the real treasure was, and who else was looking for it. The others who were looking for it, they were watching the miners that they. They were the ones who painted them on the wall, minutes before the miners arrived."

"And why would they do that?" Percy frowned.

"Because!" Raven answered. "They were trying to spook them! That's why they thought the treasure was haunted."

"Oh," Percy's face fell. "Can you please tell me what it says? Maybe I can help you figure it out."

"Me and Nico figured most of it out, but I guess you can help." Raven admitted. "It can't be written down, however. After committing it to memory, we burned the paper."

"So it is a paper!" Percy cried out. "Ha!"

"Shut up," Raven half smiled. "Anyways, it goes like this:

"Descent below the grounds of Italy, You will find the start, but not the finish. You must go back, back to where it all started. Where you find the gold, you will find another form. And in its place, you will rush to safety. The fatherland is high above, but you are far two that survived, must find the third. Then, from there, they will find what truly matters. But beware, Another family runs free, looking for what you owls are coming down on you. So make haste, and run, and fast as you feet can take. They are coming. Owl blood will be spilled. If all goes well, the real treasure will never be found."

"What's the point of all of this if you aren't even going to find it in the end?!" Percy asked.

Raven shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. But, there must have been some point for these directions to be put here."

"All they want you to do is kill owls!" Percy replied.

Raven sighed. "It's a metaphor. Owls signalize a family, the only other one that knows about this."

"Oh," Percy's face flushed with embarrassment. "Well, I am never going to figure that out."

"I don't even know if I want to." Raven admitted. "But Ainslic was obsessed with finding out what the paper said. I just wish I would have told her."

"You can't stop what happened." Percy replied. "We both know that very well. We learned the hard way."

Raven sadly smiled up at him. "You're right. Anyways, we should get going. I really want to bury her body, or send it back to Italy, where her parents live."

"She was born in Italy?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, I forgot you didn't know that." Raven laughed. "That's why we call her Italï."

"I've heard that before…" Percy muttered. "Oh, I've got it! You were talking to Nico, that first night. You told him that she tried stealing marijuana. I never knew that about her…"

"But now you do." Raven answered. "And yes, to your question that night, her real name _was_ Ainslic. Ainslic Aldabella Tschurtschenthaler."

" _Who_?" Percy asked. "How can you pronounce that?"

"Years of practice." Raven smiled at himself. "Too bad I won't be able to make fun of her anymore…"

They were silent for a minute, the sounds of the café filling in around them. After awhile, the silence becoming uncomfortable, Percy spoke up.

"Um, Raven, I've had this question for a really long time, but there hasn't been any good times to ask it." Percy started.

"Shoot it." Raven drank his coffee, which was becoming cold.

"That first day," Percy began, "You told the gang that Nico stood up for me, and then you said that you guys hadn't made it 'official' yet. Then you said 'Their lives bind together, their blood flows as one'."

"Wow, you do really remember stuff." Raven commented. "Well, I guess if someone said that about me, I would remember it, too. In our gang, when you stand for someone, you say that you would give your life for that person, and they would give their life for you. If one of you gets in trouble, the other gets the same sentence. Usually, we have a ceremony or something, but you know how it's been."

"So, if I do something, then Nico will get in trouble, too?" Percy asked.

"Exactly." Raven answered. "Any other questions?"

"How are we getting back at them?" Percy asked, finally warming up to the idea. "How are we getting Ainslic's body back?"

Raven shrugged. "I have no idea. Let's wing it."

He stood up, waiting for Percy to follow suit. "You coming?"

"I have to pay first." Percy replied, pulling money out of his pocket before putting it on the table. "Ok, now let's go. But I swear to god, my mom can't find out."

"She won't." Raven laughed. "Trust me."

"You don't trust me, or you would give me your name!" Percy interjected.

"So?" Raven asked, leading Percy away from the café.


	11. Scoping it Out

Chapter 11-

"Raven, can you slow down, please?!" Percy called out, running to catch up with him.

"If I walk slow, the cops might see me, and then it will be bye bye Raven, bye bye treasure." Raven called.

"It says you won't even be able to find it." Percy answered. "Not to mention it says you have to go to Germany."

Raven turned around to face him. "Where did it say that?!"

They were stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, but he didn't care. If Percy had already figured out a part he didn't…..

"It said something about going to the fatherland." Percy replied. "That's what they used to call Germany."

"What, did you learn that from Social Studies class or something?" Raven asked, knowing that he should have figured that out.

"It least I go to school." Percy replied.

"Isaiah told me you haven't been there since Ainslic died." Raven answered. "Is that true?"

"Who is Isaiah….?" Percy asked, glancing over at Raven. "Are you spying on me?!"

"No!" Raven sighed. "Isaiah is one of my gang members, obviously. He's been going to your and Nico's school for awhile. When I asked him how you were doing, he said you haven't been there. Is that about Ainslic?"

Percy was silent. "Look, I just asked my mom, if I could do class online for awhile."

"Because of Ainslic." Raven pressed, continuing to walk again.

Percy bit his lip. "She was a good person."

"Who you liked." Raven agreed.

"What?"

"What?"

Raven smiled at Percy's expression. "Oh, come one, I know you liked her. She probably liked you, too."

Percy blushed. "I honestly thought you two were a thing."

Raven laughed out loud. "Ainslic?! Are you insane?"

"What?" Percy defended. "She's a girl, you're a guy…."

" _So_?" Raven asked, losing all sense of humor. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I,..um…" Percy answered nervously. "Well, you know, girls and guys like each other…"

"That's not true." Raven shot back. "Guys can like guys, and girls can like girls. What? You think that's wrong?"

"N-No…." Percy stuttered. "So, oh….your-"

"Does that change anything?" Raven asked defensively.

"No!" Percy answered. "No! I just, didn't know. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You think I'm going to tell you I'm gay, but not my name?" Raven asked. "What kind of world do you think this is?"

"I don't know anymore…" Percy answered truthfully. "So, will you tell me your name, now?"

"No!" Raven threw his hands up in the air. "I told you, the day I trust you as much as Nico does, then I will tell you. Not a minute before."

Percy contemplated it for a second, but then whipped his head toward Raven.

"Oh my god I ship it!" he cried out.

" _Excuse_ me?" Raven asked, backing up from Percy. " _What_ are you talking about?"

"You and Nico! You like him!"" Percy cried out. "It's perfect! You know, he's gay, too…."

"What?" Raven asked, turning to face him. "He told you that?"

"Yeah." Percy defended. "He's my cousin."

"So I've heard." Raven answered, a slight blush covering his cheeks. "Come on, we're almost at the city morgue."

"Why don't we get Nico to help?" Percy asked.

Raven's face darkened. "He hasn't had any good moods since Ainslic died, not to mention he's still getting used to that leg. He just spends his time in the corner, barely eats or drinks. The only ones he talks to are me and Arlington."

Percy nodded. "By the way, where did you get all that money, for the leg?"

"Half was from Isaiah, the other half was…..found…by various members of the gang." Raven answered.

"Of course it was…" Percy muttered. "Does Nico know this?"

"Yeah." Raven answered. "He's cool with it."

"Not surprising." Percy said. "Ok, is that it?"

He pointed to a building about a block down, short and square with an unfriendly look.

"Probably." Raven replied. "I have no idea."

"Are you serious?" Percy asked.

"When am I not?" Raven asked, advancing toward the building. He looked through the windows, to the inside.

"Ok, so this is what we're going to do." he started. "You're going to walk in there, and pretend to be her brother. Tell them you came all the way from Italy and say that you want her body for a funeral. If they take you back there, memorize the route. If they don't let you have the body, just ct all sad and say something and leave. We can come back when it's closed if you know where it is."

"But I'm not Italian!" Percy protested.

"Just, you know what the accent sounds like! Ainslic had it. Just use very small words and act like it takes a lot to say them." Raven answered.

"Fine." Percy huffed. "But you owe me, a _lot_."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Raven waved him off. "Now, get going, Aldobrandino Tschurtschenthaler."

"That's not fair!" Percy cried out. "If I'm going to have another name, shouldn't I be able to pronounce it?"

"They don't know how it's pronounced!" Raven cried. "Just say it really accented, and they'll believe you."

Percy shook his head. "You are too good at this stuff."

"So I've been told." Raven replied. "Now go! They're going to close, soon."

Percy shot one last look at him before going up to the building, opening the door to the usual lobby like room. Behind the counter, a woman of about sixty sat, reading a small book.

"Can I help you?" she asked, putting the book down.

' _Ok_ ,' Percy thought to himself. ' _Here it goes, the moment of truth. Just remember, this is for_ Ainslic _.'_

"Si," he answered, using his hands to talk, like he knew Ainslic did. "My name is Aldobrandino Tschurtschenthaler, and I came from Italy to bring my sister's body back. Her name is Ainslic Tschurtschenthaler. We want a funeral, you see."

He tried to accent his words as much a possible, almost making it impossible to understand.

"We didn't know she had family!" she answered. "I am so sorry for your loss. Would you like to see your sister?"

Percy's mind went blank, scared to see Ainslic's body, but he numbly nodded, following the lady out of the lobby. He tired to keep track of where they went, but he also was trying to stop his whole body from shaking. He didn't think he could go through with it, to see her body, lifeless, her soul gone….

Percy shook his head, following the lady into a room that was so cold he could see his breath. All on the walls were what he assumed to be freezers, which he knew from TV to be filled with bodies. The thought sickened Percy, but also made his mission more realistic. He needed to get her out of there. After all that she went through, she didn't deserve to be treated like this after death.

"Are you sure you want to see her?" she asked before putting her hand on one of the drawers.

"Y-yeah, I'm sure." Percy stuttered, clenching his fists with anxiety as the woman opened the freezer, exposing the body of the one he used to call his friend.

Percy had to swallow his vomit as he saw her for the first time. Her skin had lost the olive skin tone, resulting in being so pale she could have blended in with the snow. Her eyelids were closed, stapled, and her mouth was glued shut. The button nose that Percy had grown to love had lost the small freckles and was absolutely colorless. When Percy went to touch her hand, it was cold and stiff.

All he wanted to do was wrap his jacket around her, to warm her up. Somewhere in Percy's mind, he still believed that she was alive, and couldn't stand to see her like this. He needed to warm her up, to bring the color back to her skin. He wanted to wake her up and talk about the fall and the colorful trees, so her eyes would light up like they always used to.

But he knew he couldn't. He knew he would never see the lights in her eyes, and he knew that she would never be warm again. She was gone, and somehow, seeing her body that day, he excepted it, and it fully hit him, full force.

A sob echoed from his throat, and before he knew it, he was sobbing all over again, like she had just died. But this time, he could hold her hand, and know that she wasn't suffering anymore.

She was free.

"Can I bring her back to Italy?" Percy asked, remembering his task. When he looked over at the woman, she had sympathy written all over her face.

"I'm sorry, but we can't allow that." she answered.

"Why not?!" Percy asked. "Why can't I bring her home?!"  
The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you must be going now. My shift is done."

Percy wanted to protest, but remembered what Raven said.

They would be back later that night, and they _would_ have revenge.


	12. Meeting Up

Chapter 12-

Nico was seriously rethinking his life decisions. What was he thinking, getting in a gang? Not to mention dragging his cousin along with him. What was he going to do if Percy got hurt? It would be all his fault. And if Percy did something wrong,…who would pay?

No matter what he did, no matter how used to his leg he would get, the constant throbbing of his old one would never not plague him. He felt like he would never be the same again, because a part of him would never come back.

Just like a part of the gang would never come back.

Ainslic's death had effected them all, some more than others, but it did change everything. They all knew things were getting serious, and their whole world was about to get flipped around. If they were lucky, they wouldn't hurt too much.

But when did they ever have luck?

When Raven came in, Nico couldn't place the look on his face. He had been gone all day, and had not said where he was going. Nico was half convinced to follow him, but knew he wouldn't be able to walk far. He had strained his leg too much the day they broke Raven out.

"What's wrong?" Nico asked, causing the teen to jump in shock. When he turned to face Nico, his face relaxed, but only slightly.

"I'm going to be gone tonight." Raven answered. "Can I borrow your jacket?"

"Where are you going?" Nico asked, feeling like a mother figure.

"Yeah, Raven, where are you going?" Arlington asked, walking up to him. "Your acting….weird."

"Percy and I have something to accomplish tonight." Raven answered. "We won't be gone too long."

"Your talking to Percy again?" Nico asked, trying to not feel jealous. Since he could do stuff with him anymore, Raven had resorted to someone else. Had he even asked him to go?  
"Yeah, he seems to be doing better." Raven replied, oblivious to Nico's feelings. He talked fast, as if wanting to get out of there.

"Well, it's not like I can stop you." Nico answered. "Why are you telling me?"

Raven eyes widened in shock, not used to Nico being like that, at least, not to him. "Well, you know, I thought you would want to know-"

"That you and my cousin are the _best_ of friends!" Nico faked cheerfulness. "Are you going to make him a friendship bracelet now?"

"What is wrong with you?" Raven asked. "Is this about Ainslic?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Not everything that's wrong with my is about Ainslic, or my dad."

"Your dad isn't a problem anymore." Raven spook slowly. "You know that. What's bothering you?"

"Nothing!" Nico swatted him away. "Just do what you have to do already."

"I have to take care of my gang." Raven answered. "That's you. What's wrong? Do you want to go or something?"

Nico rolled his eyes, but didn't answer.

"You do. Look, I'm sorry Nico, I didn't know. I didn't think you could." Raven apologized.

"I can go!" Nico stood up for himself, but knew he couldn't. The pain was becoming so unbearable, almost like something was wrong.

"Then come on." Raven invited.

Nico bit his lip, knowing he couldn't even stand up. "I don't want to go anymore when your in this mood."

Raven threw his hands up. "Fine, I give up. I should be back at sunrise."  
He walked out, leaving Arlington and Nico, one again, alone with only the other gang members as company.

Raven waited in the alley outside Percy's apartment, leaning against the wall as he waited for Percy to make an appearance. He should have been there by now, but Raven knew that Percy would have a hard time sneaking out, not to mention finding black clothes.

It was around ten, the sun having set hours before. Raven hadn't been able to take Nico's jacket, so he only had on his usual black T-shirt and jeans, which were _embarrassingly_ too small for him. He tried not to shiver to hard from the cold, but it was after dark, and only about twenty degrees. He knew if Percy didn't hurry up, he would have to go in and get him.

Raven didn't know a think about Percy's home life, but knew it must be better than Nico's. Percy had mentioned his mom before, and Raven had glimpsed her earlier that day, when he pulled Percy out of his apartment. Percy hadn't, however, mentioned _anything_ about his father. Chances were he didn't have one, and that made it almost possible to think of Percy as an equal. But they were only cooperating because of Nico, and Ainslic. They couldn't become friends.

He could use with some friends that didn't hate him, however.

The first day he had joined that gang, Raven knew he was going to regret it. And then when the first branded him, right on his face, he knew he had thrown his life away. And for what? A treasure that probably would _never_ be found? And when he finally came to terms with that, he worked on doing the best he could do with his life while being in the gang. Eventually, he rose to leader, and all he did was try to take care of the ones around him. He always seemed to fail, however.

Raven looked up when he heard a noise above him, seeing that Percy was slowly making his way out of his window and onto the fire-escape. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts that had surfaced, knowing that they wouldn't help him tonight, he watched while Percy made his way down, trying to make as little noise as possible.

"Glad you could join me." Raven said when Percy finally made his way down.

"Well, my mom is on edge from all of this gang stuff lately." Percy replied. "If she comes back and finds my bed empty…."

"Tell her you were worried about Nico, so you went to see if you could find him." Raven replied.

Percy nodded, still not looked absolutely sure. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie with grey pants.

"You don't have black clothes?" Raven guessed, eyeing Percy as they started to walk.

"Of course I do!" Percy insisted. "I just….lost them."

"Of coarse you did." Raven replied. "Anyways, you remember the hall you went down and everything?"

"Yeah, but don't they have security cameras?" Percy asked.

Raven shrugged. "I don't know. Do they?"  
"Yes, they do!" Percy pursed his lips at Raven carefree attitude. "Aren't you the least bit worried?"

"No." Raven snorted. "No matter what happens, we're getting revenge. And we will put Ainslic's body to rest."

"How can you be so sure?" Percy asked, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets. He was freezing, but looking over at Raven's exposed arms, he knew he shouldn't be complaining.

"I'm the leader of a gang, Percy." Raven answered simply. " I've been in life threatening positions a million times before. Not to mention, jail isn't even that bad."

"But prison is." Percy answered. "Once they catch you again, they're not just going to put you in a small jail. You have too much on your record."

"I'm guessing you watch a lot of cop shows." Raven commented. "Look, they're not _going_ to catch me. I'm thinking about moving our gang hide-out."

"To _where_?" Percy asked, stopping to stare at Raven.

"Are you insane? Don't stop in the middle of the street!" Raven pulled his arm to kept walking. "It's nighttime and we're on the streets of New York City. That's like taking a stroll in downtown Detroit."

"Yeah, but you're here." Percy replied. "Aren't we safe with you here?"

"This isn't our territory." Raven answered. "And to your question earlier, I don't know yet. I'll find somewhere, though, but I _have_ to. Things are getting a little too close for comfort."

Percy rolled his eyes. " _Now_ you say that."

"What do you mean by that?" Raven asked, taking a quick look around them.

Percy closed his mouth. Multiple times, he forgot that he was talking to a leader of a _gang_. In some situations, they were almost friends. But, he kept letting things fall out of his mouth, and kept making Raven mad. He had made the mistake multiple times with Nico.

"Your saying I should have done that before I got arrested?" Raven asked when Percy didn't answer. "Your saying Ainslic's death was my fault?"

Percy wanted to defend himself, but if he did, they would both know that he was lying.

Raven crossed his arms against the cold. "A lot of people have been saying that. I hope you know I didn't mean to. And if you do, than you might as well just go back home now. You don't like to hang out with _murders_ , or so I've been told."

Scratch that. They were _not_ friends. Percy didn't reply again, but didn't make any move to turn around. He just continued to walk with Raven, but refused to open his mouth again. What else was he going to mess up?

"We're here." Raven said coldly, stopping in front of the building. "Put your hood up, and wipe some mud off the ground on your face. They won't be able to recognize you."

Percy did as he was told, watching as Raven didn't make any move to.

"I'm going in like this." Raven said. "We're teaching them not to mess with us. They are _going_ to know that we did this. I wouldn't have it any other way."  
Percy nodded, starting to walk over to the building, but stopped when Raven put his hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, and before I forget." Raven whispered in his ear. "After this is all over, I would prefer to never see your face again….I recommend going back to your prefect life."

With that, he walked in front of Percy, leaving him to trail after.


	13. Getting Her Back

_**A.N: Uhggggg... I'm not good at action scenes, but hopefully you guys like this one. ~Peyton**_

Chapter 13-

"How are we going to get in?" Percy asked wearily.

Raven smirked at him, pulling his gun from his pocket. "We want them to know we're here, remember?"  
Before Percy could protest, Raven brought the gun up and shot through the glass windows, causing the shards to explode out at them. Raven made no move to protect himself, so they landed in his hair and on his arms. Percy could make out the small scratches and small amounts of blood found its way out. He was very angry, and Percy knew that nothing would stop him when he was like that.

Percy had brought an arm up and already had his hood on, so the glass didn't penetrate his skin. He expected to hear an alarm, but none came. Without waiting to see if Percy was coming, Raven walked across the glass. Percy followed reluctantly, tiptoeing around the pieces.

"Where is she?" Raven asked, licking the blood that had dripped onto his lips.

"This way." Percy replied, pointing toward the door he entered earlier.

Raven went ahead. "Do you have a phone on you?"  
"Why?" Percy asked, his voice echoing off of the walls. He knew Raven was being too out in he open, and he couldn't help himself from getting scared.

"It's dark." Raven answered slowly, as if he was talking to a child. He gestured to the dark hallway.

Percy bit back a comment and handed Raven his phone, wondering if Raven was going to give it back. He watched as Raven turned it on and illuminated the area ahead of them.

"Where are we going?" he called to Percy.

"Over there." Percy pointed to one of the doors, which was also glass. Without even seeing if it was locked, Raven shot two more bullets through it.

The glass scattered again, and this time Percy wasn't so lucky. One of the shards cut him across the face, but feeling the same amount of anger that Raven held, he ignored it and continued on behind Raven.

"Where is she?" Raven asked. "Where are they keeping her?!"

Percy walked over to the freezer he had seen earlier, pulling it out to reveal the body bag, which was zipped up. Raven walked over to it, face becoming a mask again.

"Make sure it's her." he said quietly, turning his head so he wouldn't see her face.

Unwillingly, Percy unzipped the top, seeing Ainslic's ice cold face again, for the second time that day. Again, Percy had to hold back the vomit while zipping it back up.

"Yeah, it's her." Percy answered, voice shaking. "It's her. Now, let's get out of here."

"Don't you listen at all?" Raven asked, turning back around to face him. "I said we were going to get revenge tonight."

Before Percy could protest, Raven took the drawstring bag from his back and pulled out two bottles of graffiti.

"Do you know how to do our symbol?" Raven asked, shaking his and giving the other to Percy.

"I'm guessing what's on your face?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, but me and Ainslic just used our eyes for the eye in the symbol. Let me show you how to draw it." Raven answered.

He shock his can a little more before starting to graffiti the wall of freezers, creating what Percy soon saw as the mark on his face. When it was finished, Raven grabbed another can from his bag and started to put more detail and shade into it.

"There!" he said proudly, showing the wall to Percy. "Bask in dreams of my beautiful graffiti-ing."

"Is that even a word?" Percy asked, looking at the wall. The symbol showed menacingly in the dim light of his phone, almost looking as if it was made from blood. Raven's own blood was scattered over it, where his hand was bleeding.

"Not that I know of, but hey, I didn't go to school." Raven shrugged. "Now, why don't we redecorate this place?"

Percy didn't like the idea, but took the graffiti can from Raven. Once he started to do it, the more fun it seemed. He even found himself smiling at one point.

Until they heard the sirens echoing through the streets.

Percy looked over at Raven, who didn't stop the wall he was doing.

"It could be for anything." Raven replied lazily. But when they could hear them right outside the building, he sighed before putting the bag on his back. "Okay, let's go. There should be some kin d of back entrance. I've got her body."

He lifted the body back onto his shoulder, putting one arm around it before gesturing for Percy to follow him. In his other hand, he held his gun out and in the open, knowing the cops wouldn't fail to shoot.

He led Percy down the hall, which was brightly illuminated by the sirens outside. Faintly, Percy heard the boots hitting against the glass on the floor.

"We need to go." Percy whispered in Raven's ear, pushing him forward. "Run!"

"Oh, no! They might get us!" Raven replied sarcastically.

Percy turned around to face him, temper finally fairing. "Listen, Raven, or whatever your real name is, but I don't want to go to jail, but I could care less if you do. But Ainslic did, and still does, wherever she is. She died getting you out. Are you seriously just going to let her die in vain and just get arrested again? 'Cause I swear, I'm not getting you out this time, and neither is anybody else."

Raven's face was still still, but eventually it fell. "Let's go,"

Percy sighed in relief, hearing the cops coming closer. "Okay, let's go."

They ran down the hall, finding a back exit through one of the doors. Raven opened and quickly looked through, seeing that no one was in the alley. He ran out, Percy following. He could hear the cops behind them, screaming to one another. Once in awhile, Percy felt a bullet whiz by him. Raven kept running, though, and so did he.

What had Ainslic said before she died?

Keep running.


	14. Arlington

_**A.N: I'm starting school again on the nineteenth, so after then I might not post as much, but I WILL try, as much as possible. Thanks for all the reviews, ~Peyton**_

Chapter 14-

Percy tapped the pencil on his face, staring blankly as the teacher rambled on about something he could care less about. Percy had taken Raven's advice and tried going back to a normal life. Key word being "tried". No matter what he did, he could never stop thinking about them, and what was happening. He couldn't even watch the news any more without seeing Raven's face, saying that they were looking for him. He had tried to go and warn him, but Raven had been telling the truth: they moved places. Now, Percy didn't know where they were, or if they were all okay. Not to mention he hadn't seen Nico in so long, now that he was permanently living with the gang.

"We have a new student with us." the teacher said, shaking Percy from his thoughts. "Please be welcoming to her, as it is her first time in a big high school. I'm going to get her from the office. I think you all will survive for two minutes on your own?"

Percy didn't know who he was expecting, but it _certainly_ wasn't Arlington. When she came in, long sleeves hiding her gang tattoo, Percy wanted to run from the classroom as far as he could. What did they want from him, now?

"This is Allyson Walker, and she recently moved here from Michigan. Allyson, you can take any seat." the teacher said.

Of course she used a fake name. When the gang not? Percy silently prayed that she wouldn't sit next to him, but she did, smirking over at him before falsely paying attention to the teacher.

When the bell finally rang, Percy grabbed her arm as she made her way out of the classroom.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered. "What do you guys want, now?"

Arlington rolled her eyes, shrugging as she started to walk again. "Nico is still bonded with you. And since he can't keep an eye on you, I have to. Don't worry, Raven's cool with it."

Percy's eye twitched. "I don't care if Raven cares or not. What about your baby?"

"Nico's taking care of her." Arlington answered. "Besides, we need at least one gang member that has gone to school. I have all the same classes as you. Show me around?"

"Of course you do." Percy answered. "Fine, just follow me. But if this is some trick to get me back over there, forget about it."

Arlington snorted. "You really think I'm trying to get you over there? Raven is furious with you."

"Seriously?" Percy asked. "I helped him like he asked me to."

"And said that Ainslic's death was his fault." she answered. "He may not show it, but Raven's totally sensitive to that stuff."

"I really, really doubt that." Percy admitted. "Just, come on. I'm going to be late for my class."

"Wow, Raven was right." Arlington commented as Percy led her up the flight of stairs.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked. "What did he say?"

"Oh, nothing." she waved the question away just as the bell rang. "Well, I guess we're late."

"Perfect." Percy breathed out. "Perfect."

The rest of the day didn't go by any better. By the time lunch started, Percy felt like his head was going to collapse in on itself. And, more than ever before, he felt like he was constantly being spied on. And he knew, no matter how many times she tried to deny it, Arlington was spying on him for Raven. It was just the kind of thing he would do.

"Do you have any money for food?" Percy asked her, entering the cafeteria.

Arlington looked at him strangely. "Seriously? Look, I don't want anything to eat. I'm just going to work on trying to figure out all of this work."

"You need to eat." Percy sighed. Once again, he was getting involved with the gang. "Just,…follow me. I'll pay."

"You don't have to." Arlington replied, following him to the line for food. "Honestly."

"Well, I am." Percy said. "Do you like pizza?"

"Never had it." Arlington answered.

Percy looked at her to see if she was kidding, but she was serious.

"Do you want to try it….?" Percy asked awkwardly. Before that day, he had never really talked to Arlington before. Talking to her almost felt like talking t o Raven. Almost.

"Sure." she shrugged. "I'll take whatever."

"What about a drink?" Percy asked, grabbing two slices of pizza and paying.

"A drink…?" Arlington looked around her. "What can I have?"

"Anything." Percy answered. He walked over to one of the freezers and pulled out a coke for himself.

"Instead of getting a drink, can I just get a milk to take home to Nicole?" Arlington asked, wriggling her hands together.

"Nicole?….oh, yeah, sure." Percy answered, forgetting for a second that she had a daughter. "But get a drink for yourself, too."

"Are you sure?" Arlington asked. "Do you have enough money?"

"Of course." Percy replied. "Both my parents have really good jobs."

Arlington smiled for the first time in hours. "Thanks,"

"Don't mention it." Percy shrugged, watching as she grabbed a bottle of milk and a bottle of Pepsi.

"Where do we sit?" she asked, putting the milk in the worn bag over her shoulder.

"This way." Percy led her to one of the tables. "You need to meet my friends."

Once they got to the table he usually sat at, Jason, Piper, Leo, and their new friend, Annabeth Chase were already there. Percy sat down, leaving Arlington to awkwardly sit next to him.

"Guys, this is Arli- Allsyon." Percy said as they all looked at her. "She's my, um, cousin, on my mom's side. She just moved here."

"Hi, Allyson, nice to meet you. I'm Piper." Piper said, stretching out her hand for Arlington to shake.

"Hi…" Arlington shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, too, Piper."

The others introduced themselves, shaking Arlington's hand before going back to their conversation.

"Why did you introduce me to them?" Arlington whispered in his ear.

"Psyching out Raven." Percy laughed, whispering back. "Now they are _all_ tied to the gang."

Arlington half glared at him, but he could see the amusement in her eyes.

Annabeth was staring at Arlington the whole time, however, as if trying to figure out a math problem. Finally, after about ten minutes, she sharply took in her breath.

"I, have to go!" she cried out, jumping up suddenly. "To the library!"

She left, speed walking out of the cafeteria, and as far away from them as possible.

 _'As far away from Arlington as possible.'_ Percy thought. _'She knows….'_


	15. Keep Running

_**A.N: Sad chapter! I tried to answer all your quesrions in this one, though. Hope you enjoy! ~Peyton**_

Chapter 15-

"What was the point in psyching out Raven?" Arlington asked as the exited Goode High School. "Aren't you just putting your friends in trouble?"

"Raven isn't going to do anything to them." Percy waved her off. "But now he knows he can't stalk _every single person_ you guys come into contact with."

"I'm not stalking you for him!" Arlington protested. "Nico wants to make sure your safe!"

"From who?" Percy asked. "It's a high school!"

"Luke Castellan." Arlington answered, eyes stormy. "There, you happy now? That kid that used to bully Nico, he's in the Stingers, and he knows who you are."  
"Wouldn't he know who you are?" Percy asked, taking in the information. He stopped at one of the trees on campus, sitting underneath it to catch his breath.

"Exactly why he stayed _far_ away from you." Arlington sat down beside him. "You need to trust us Percy. We have never worked against you."

"You killed Annabeth's little brother." Percy said. "She still has nightmares."

" _I_ didn't kill Annabeth's little brother." Arlington put her hand on her chest. "You want to know who killed him? It's-"

"Percy!"  
She was interrupted when Jason ran up to them, his face panicked and breaths coming in short gasps.

"What's wrong, Jason?" Percy asked, standing up to meet him. Arlington did the same, and Percy saw her hand go straight to her pocket.

Her weapon.

"You need to see this." Jason panted. "It's about Nico. I though you said he was living with somebody on his mom's side."

"He was." Percy lied, looking over Jason's shoulder at his phone.

On the phone, Jason had the news playing, which was on another special report, like it had been when they covered the drive by shooting.

As Percy watched the news, his eyes grew bigger and bigger with what he saw.

"Turn it off!" Percy snapped. "Look, Jason, just ignore that. Nico, is in, uh, California."

"I thought you said Italy?" he asked quietly. "Percy,…? What's going on?"

Percy shook his head, but didn't answer. He instead turned toward Arlington, who's face had gone white and pained. "You need to take me there, now. Raven's spying time is over."

Arlington didn't protest this time, however, and just nodded weakly before grabbing his arm and beginning to run. Percy ran with her, leaving Jason standing under the tree, his phone hung loosely in his hand. When Percy looked back, he saw that Jason had dropped it, but didn't seem to notice. He stared after Percy, eyes glazed over as he began to piece it all together.

Arlington sprinted down the streets of New York, not pausing for anything. She pushed her way through everyone, even causing some to fall to the pavement. Percy wanted to stop and apologize, but knew there wasn't enough time. Time was _always_ running out for him.

When they started to get to the _really_ bad side of the city, Percy was about to collapse from exhaustion, but kept running, for Nico _and_ for Raven. He needed to get there in time, and that was the only real thing he cared about. There lives was he truly wanted saved, and he knew that was what Ainslic must have felt like.

Arlington only stopped when she came to an old abandoned warehouse, knocking on the door in a simple pattern before it opening by on of the small gang members. Her and Percy ran it, to see Nico and Raven lounging in the corner.

They didn't know.

"Raven, Nico! What are you doing?!" Percy yelled, putting his hands on his knees to calm himself down. They were there. They were on time.

"Uh,…sitting?" Nico asked. "Percy, what are you doing here?"

"Are you both _idiots_?" Arlington asked. "You know!"

"What do we know?" Raven asked, stretching his arms above his head and yawning. "You could really stop with the screaming, Arlington, your going to wake the baby."

Arlington hesitated before going to get the baby out of Nico's arms. Percy, however, knew how fast they had to be moving.

"They're looking for you!" Percy cried out. "They think one of you killed Annabeth's little brother! What are you going to do?"

Nico looked over at him for the first time. "Didn't you here what Ainslic had said? We're going to run."

"You guys are running away…" Percy could feel the dread starting to settle in. "When were you going to tell me?!"

He looked over at Arlington, who was holding the baby as tightly to her chest as possible. Her eyes were downcast but wide, and Percy could tell she knew what was coming.

"I wasn't going to." Nico answered truthfully. Painfully, he pushed himself into a standing position and slowly made his way toward Percy.

"You were just going to leave?" Percy asked. "But, your throwing your life away! Your-"

"He knows, Percy." Raven replied quietly. "Trust me, he knows."

Nico looked Percy in the eye, and Percy could see how broken Nico truly was. His black eyes were like shattered glass, glazed over with no light behind them. His face was so worn down, so beaten up. In spirit, he was way older than he should have been.

"I'm sorry, Percy. I really am." Nico replied. "But don't you want is to be safe?"

"Yeah, I guess." Percy admitted. "And I'll get to see you guys after everything has cooled down. I guess it isn't that big of a deal."

Nico's face fell, but he continued to stare at Percy, as if he was trying to memorize his face.

"What? What's wrong?" Percy asked, taking a step back.

"He means to say." Arlington spoke quietly, lifting her head up to expose tears falling steadily down her checks. "That we _won't_ ever see them again. They aren't coming back."

"No, no, no, no." Percy shook his head, looking at Raven for conformation. "She's wrong, right?"

Raven shook his head, hugging his arms to himself.

"No, you can't leave me!" Percy cried out to Nico. "You're my cousin! I, I-"

Nico hugged him suddenly, the first time he had ever really hugged Percy. Percy wrapped his arms around Nico's back after he got over his shock, but soon realized Nico was crying. He could feel the younger boy's sobs as drenched Percy's shirt with his tears.

They stood like that for a moment, before Raven put his hand on Nico's shoulder.

"We need to get going." he said softly. "We need to leave. Percy,….good luck. And,…I forgive you."

Percy nodded at Raven. "Good luck to you, too. Don't let them get you guys."

Raven smirked. "Like that's going to happen."

He looked around the room sadly for a moment before going over to hug Arlington. Once he let go, he took Nico by the arm, supporting him and his leg, before walking out, leaving them behind. Forever.

Percy didn't know what was going to happen, or if they were actually going to get away, but all he could do was pray. He silently out his hand on Arlington's shoulder, before lowering his own head, letting his tears fall.


	16. In Until The End

_**A.N: It's short, and kind of a filler, but I wanted to get something out to you guys. Until I'm better, the chapters will be shorter and will take longer to update, but I do plan on updating through this. I hope you enjoy it, and tell me what you think and your ideas. ~Peyton**_

Chapter 16-

Two months.

It had been two long months since Raven and Nico left. Since then, Percy was left with an empty feeling in his chest, like his life had finally dropped so low that it couldn't get any worse. His grades were failing and it was almost graduation, he had to dodge all his friends about Nico being on the news and it the gang, and Annabeth was absolutely furious with him. His cousin's gang had, after all, killed her little brother. There was no way she could _ever_ forgive him. And that saddened Percy a little, though he didn't know why. She was nice, for sure, but he didn't like her…..right?

The thoughts kept swimming through his mind, leaving no room for anything else. He sort of fell into a state of depression, unable to get out of bed most mornings. His mother was oblivious to what was really going on, and insisted in bringing him to a therapist, which he refused. Yet, as the days went on, growing longer each time, he couldn't find it in him to even say no anymore. His closet cousin was gone, and Raven, who had been a friend, no matter how weird the relationship, were gone, forever. He was never going to see them again, and that made everything a hundred times worse. He was half convinced to get up and go out and find them, but knew he couldn't.

And then there was half of Percy that kept nagging him to check the gang, see how they were doing, to see if Arlington could handle it all. But she did, didn't she? She could do it. They could make it. They all had before, but Raven was looking out for them, probably getting most of their food. Now that he was gone….

Percy slowly sat up, face expressionless as he sat on his bed, staring out his window. The cars all streamed by, but the world still stood still. It had too. Percy could not let his life go on without them. Nico was always there to keep him grounded, Raven there to remind him that his life was amazing. He couldn't have that amazing life without them. It was wrong.

He pushed himself up, his face cringing at the movement of his sore muscles. Percy walked softly on his bare feet, seeing himself for the first time in weeks in his mirror. His eyes were bloodshot, his face streaked with dry tears. His eyes looked glassy and broken, and for the first time, he saw Nico's eyes staring back at him. Raven' eyes. Ainslic's eyes. All their eyes had held that look, and now Percy obtained it. He knew it wasn't a good thing, but it made him like them, even just a little bit. They all had something in common, now.

"I have to." Percy said to himself, holding on to his desk so tight his fists turned white. "I have to. It's the only way."

The idea that had surfaced in his mind was what he knew to be the only way to continue forward. It was the only way to help them and help himself. He had to, no matter what the consequences.

Percy walked out of his room quietly, as to not alert his mom of his presence. He got out of the house undetected, and started the long walk to the abandoned warehouse.

He knocked on the door, hearing the sound echo throughout the interior. After about a couple minutes, Arlington poked her face out.

"Percy!" she hissed. "What are you doing here?"

She pulled him in the warehouse before closing the door behind them, turning to face him with a look he couldn't recognize.

"You look terrible." she commented, looking him over. "I mean, not worse than us, but worse than you usually look."

"That's what I wanted to talk about." Percy replied, his throat going dry. As soon as it came from his mouth, he knew he couldn't take it back. It was all or nothing.

"What do you mean?" Arlington asked, tilting her head to gaze at him.

"I, uh,.." Percy took a deep breath. "I want to join the gang, to replace Raven, and/or Nico. I want to help, totally."

Percy could feel all the eyes on him as the ceremony began, and the doubt overcame him. He knew he couldn't back out, though, so he just stared straight forward, finding comfort in that Raven, Nico, and Ainslic had all done this. He wasn't alone. This was his family now, and they would never abandon him.

"Perseus Anthony Jackson." Arlington started, "Wishes to join our gang. He already performed enough duties with Raven to initiate him, but we must have a say here. What do _you_ say?"

There was a cheer from the gang, which Percy guessed was a good thing. Looking over at Arlington, her face relaxed, and she smiled over at Percy.

"Well, I guess the gang has chosen. Percy please repeat the following words, 'For this gang I will fight. Through and through, with all my might. When the leaves fall and the flowers rise, I'll be there with the ones most wise. I'll serve and protect with all my might, Even if it takes my life. Rebel per l'umanita, È quello che vivo per. E mi batterò con la mia vita, Fino a quando mi prendono , anche."

Percy didn't know what the Italian meant at the end, but he said it anyways, not wanting to ask. When he was done (mispronouncing the Italian), Arlington nodded at him before grabbing what he was dreading.

The branding things.

Percy breathed in sharply, his mind automatically going to all the pain he would be in. He had never really had ad physical pain before, never breaking a bone or having any kind of surgery. He was unprepared, to say the least. He knew he had to though, as he couldn't change his mind. They would _never_ allow that.

Arlington put the iron, which looked to Percy like a large stamp, into the fire, which they made from twigs and discarded machine parts. Percy could see it start to turn red, the heat becoming the maximum amount. After about five minutes of holding it in there, she took it out.

"You said you wanted it on your arm?" she asked. "Take your shirt off."

Percy nodded and obeyed, taking his shirt off and discarding it on the ground. He then held out his left arm, which Arlington took in her hand. She inspected his forearm before pressing the iron onto his skin.

White hot pain sheered through him as the hot metal touched his skin. He didn't know if he screamed or not, and didn't even know if he was still standing. It blurred through his mind and fogged up his vision. Then, as soon as it was there, it was gone.

And then he was officially in, forever and always.


	17. Living on The Streets

_**A.N: This chapter is just a little snippet of what Nico and Raven have been doing, and it kind of time skips. But the next chapter, I'm going to go back to where I left off with Percy and the others. ~Peyton**_

Chapter 17-

Living on the streets wasn't _that_ bad, or at least Nico tried to convince himself.

Even when he had been living with the gang, he at least had a roof over his head, no matter how leaky and unstable it was. Now, Raven and him were forced to sleep on the side of the street, or on a free bench in the park. Food was hard to come by, and they seemed to get weaker everyday.

But they were free, and that was all that mattered.

Or was it?

Nico missed his friends and family so much his chest literally ached. Some nights, when his thoughts were too loud and only the darkness was there to comfort him, he even missed his dad. Anybody from his old life would have been fine, but he knew they would never come, and he would never go back. It was the only way to survive.

Keep running.

He knew he couldn't look back, but Nico questioned it every day. Raven was there for him, but Nico craved the warmth of someone who hadn't done evil, even though he had done evil himself. Like Percy, he was pure hearted and could never do anything wrong. He wanted to know someone like that. Too bad he never got anything he wanted.

Days were filled with sleeping and hiding, while nights were filled with stealing. Every once and awhile, they would get enough money to rent a hotel for a night, which they would use to finally shower and get some warmth, for at least one night. They always found out who they were before long, and they were forced to run before the cops came.

They always managed to steal something or another.

The summer started to go by, and naturally, Nico started to fear for the winter. He didn't know where they had ended up, but the city was already pretty chilly. He could only imagine what it would be like when September came. Raven had his small jacket, and Nico only had the long sleeved shirt he had been wearing for months. And soon their lives turned into a game. The question?

How long can you survive?

And in Nico's opinion, they were losing terribly.


	18. Long Sleeves

Chapter 18-

Percy had never liked long sleeves, even in the winter, and he had only about two shirts with them. Yet, he found himself only wearing those, because there was no way he could let his mom see his gang symbol. Percy hated to admit it, but he had become what she had feared since she was a little girl.

School had ended, and the summer started n full swing, bringing the heat along with it. He wanted to stay inside with the air conditioning as much as possible, but he knew he had his responsibilities with the gang. He tried his best to help in any way (besides murder), and was with them way more than he would have liked. He became distant from his friends and family, and felt more guilty than ever.

They took notice.

Percy's mom insisted in bringing him to a therapist, since the long sleeves brought other thoughts to her mind. Percy knew what she was thinking, and knew it was killing her, but he refused to tell her the truth, and could find no other excuse. He saw t reflected on his friends faces, too. They looked at him with pity filled looks on the rare times they met up. And the thing he knew scared his mom the most was that he hadn't been swimming once. He used to go every day of summer, but now that was gone, along with his innocence. He had a different life, now.

At least, when he was with the gang, he could wear whatever he wanted. He would take a T-shirt or tank top with him, and change when he got there. Over time, and without even realizing it, the time he spent with the gang was the happiest he had felt in a long time. Before he had met them, his life had been boring, and, well, normal. Nothing exciting happened, and nothing bad happened. Now, however, he felt like he was actually living, for the first time in his life. Maybe he had made the right choice, after all.

But yet, the absence of Nico and Raven weighed him down terribly. Some days, he could forget about them, but they always seemed to be brought up. Jason was always asking about Nico, telling Percy what he thought, and how he believed Nico to have been involved in all the gang activities. Unfortunately, he was right, but Percy never told him that. He always denied it, saying that he had to leave.

It seemed a common thing for him to leave his friends now. Some days, he didn't even count them as his friends. What had they ever done for him?

Being in the gang made Percy question everything about himself, and he didn't know if that was good or bad. His whole world was changing, but most days, he felt that this was a good thing. He was actually _doing_ something. He was leaving his mark on the world, no matter how small.

He was going to be remembered.

But was it in a good way?

All his life, Percy was taught that gangs were wrong, and everyone in them was going to Hell. But now that he had been in one, and got to know them, he saw for the first time what they really were: kids trying to find their way in the world. They didn't do anything for evil intentions, well, not usually, but they did them to survive. Nobody knew this, however, because they were so quick to judge. It was just what society made them into. Percy knew differently, though, and was glad for that.

That was, until, his mother approached him one day.

It was early August, a slight chill already in the air. Percy hadn't started his senior year yet, but already he was dreading it. With the limitations school provided him, he wouldn't have a lot of time to spend with the gang. He couldn't stay out long, because he had to get some sleep for school days. So, Percy tried to cram every free minute he had with them.

And his mother got even more worried.

Percy went and sat at the kitchen table for breakfast, seeing that Paul wasn't reading the newspaper like usual, and his mother had the breakfast already made. They weren't eating, however, but staring at Percy.

Something was wrong.

"Mom…? Paul? What's up?" Percy asked, slightly nervous. If they had found out….

"Percy! I just can't take it anymore!" Sally cried out, holding his hands from across the table. "Please, tell me what's going on with you? Where do you keep going?"

"Out with my friends, mom." Percy lied. "I've told you this."

"You know that's a lie, Percy." Paul replied. "They have all called us, asking if anything has happened. They're all as worried about you as we are."

"You don't need to be." Percy answered. "Nothing' wrong. I just….don't enjoy hanging out with them anymore. I have other friends."

"Other friends….? Percy, what made you change your mind? Jason's your cousin! You've been friends with him for so long-"

"I know, mom." Percy interjected. "I don't know. I guess I just realized how stupid everything was. I've been hanging out with these other kids, and they're pretty cool. I really enjoy being with them."

"And they're good to you?" Sally asked. "They're not peer pressuring you, are they?"

"No, mom. They would never do that." Percy replied.

"Good, I'm glad." Sally said back, glancing over at Paul while biting her lip. "Percy, we have something to ask you, and I'm sorry if your not comfortable talking about it, but…."

She faltered, looking at Paul for support.

"Have you been feeling depressed, Percy?" Paul asked calmly. "Or, I heard people feel numb-"

"I don't cut myself, Paul. I don't. I can promise you that." Percy answered. He couldn't keep this up anymore. The secret was weighing on his like a ton of bricks. Maybe his mom would understand. Maybe if she met them….

"Thank god," Sally brought her head down, to only bringing it u with tears of relief in her eyes. "Then Percy, what's wrong? What's with the long sleeves?"

"It's a long story, mom." Percy tried to explain. "I just…can't tell you right now. But I promise you, I'm doing the right thing. And you know I would ever hurt anyone."

"I know, Percy." Sally answered. 'But when you feel like talking about it, please, don't hesitate to ask us. I really want to help you, Percy."

"Yeah, of course." Percy nodded, squirming in his seat nervously. "Look, I have to go. Talk to you later?"

Sally's face fell immediately. "Sure, I guess."

Percy felt bad almost instantly. "Look, mom, I'll be home early. We can all go out together, for a movie or dinner. We haven't done that in awhile."

Sally smiled. "That's sounds great Percy. I'll see you then."

"Alright, see you." Percy waved before exiting. As soon as he was out of the building, he sprinted to the old warehouse. He needed Arlington's advice.


	19. Only Kids

Chapter 19-

"No! Are you _insane_?!" Arlington asked, giving him her full attention. "You can't tell her!"

"She's my mother." Percy protested, stomping his foot against the metal floor. He knew he was acting like a child, but he wanted his way.

"Stop throwing a tantrum," Arlington answered, starting to speak more calmly. "Look, telling her could lead to various possibilities, all of them bad. What if she found out where this place was? She could tell the police."

"I could stand for her!" Percy piped up, raising his hand. "I would."

Arlington shook her head. "You're already bonded to Nico. You can't be bonded to two people."

Percy sighed, running out of ideas. "But-"

"No, Percy." Arlington shot back. "You're barely even a member. Mot of these kids have been here for years an their parents don't know. They were able to keep it a secret. Why can't you?"

Percy froze, not used to Arlington being mad at him. Even when she was mad, she barely snapped.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked, looking her up and down. "You're not acting like yourself."

She looked up at him, her auburn eyes crystallized from the oncoming tears. She shook her head sadly, losing all signs of anger.

"Percy…., I just,…..I can't….." her lip trembled, but she squared her jaw to stop herself from crying. "The Stingers….they said a rumble…..we're not ready. We're mostly kids….."

"When did they say this?" Percy asked. "Why are they made at you guy-…us?"

"We've always been rival gangs, Percy." Arlington answered. "Not that our gang has been growing, and everyone knows it….. They're angry."

"Can't we just, not go?" Percy asked. He hadn't really had experience with this side of the gang life, and had no idea what to say. If a rumble was what he thought it was….

"Do you want to start a gang war?" Arlington asked sharply. "There would be drive by shooting, direct murders…..all towards us. I can't let that happen."

"What would Raven do?" Percy asked. "Or Nico?"

Arlington sadly smiled at the memory of them. "Raven would have probably stopped it before it even got this far. Nico would try to talk to the Stingers….. Ainslic, she would have totally forgotten about the idea of peace and would steal a gun for each member. She would have gotten away with it, too."

Percy flinched at Ainslic's memory surfaced in his mind, but blocked it away. He couldn't deal with the grief at the moment. "Have you tried to talk to them?"

"They're not as approachable as you would think." Arlington murmured. "Luke Castellan…he's killed so many of us."

"He was always beating Nico up at school." Percy admitted. "I remember that. Now that I think about it, that was probably the reason Nico refused to let us approach him. He knew he was dangerous, and he didn't want us to get hurt."

Arlington nodded. "That was exactly his reasoning."

They were silent for a second, and Percy sat down next to her, leaning up against the wall. Nicole was crawling around the floor, a small toy in her hand and a very beat up pacifier in her mouth (both most likely stolen). She seemed pretty content in what she was doing, and didn't spare one glance at anybody else. Percy watched her like this for awhile, enjoying being able to sit there in peace, knowing that soon he wouldn't be able to.

"So, what do you think we should do?" Arlington asked quietly, breaking the silence. "Do you think we should just train them the best we can? Only let those who are twelve and older fight?"

Percy shrugged. "I don't know, Arlington. You're the leader here."

Arlington looked over at him, her grubby face showing no emotion. "I think all of us here agree that you're as much as a leader as I am."

Percy stared at her in disbelief. "Yeah, right. Do you expect me to believe that?"

"Believe it or not, I don't care. I'm just telling you the truth." she answered. "Every since they left, you having been acting like a leader is supposed to act. You care about this gang and would help them with anything. That's exactly what Raven did, and he was the best leader I have ever seen or heard of."

Percy was silent, thinking about what she had said. Now that he actually thought about all that he did, he knew how Raven had felt that first night he sent there, when he gave up his food for one of the kids. Percy had asked him about it, telling him he had to eat, but Raven had only looked at him and shot the idea down.

" _Percy, I'm their leader. That means I am responsible for all of them. If they are hungry, then I do not eat. Their needs are before mine."_

His voice echoed in Percy's brain, and for the first time, he could see himself doing the same thing. He knew now what the responsibility was, and adopted it without knowing. Slowly, without Percy even realizing it, Raven had been teaching him what a real leader was, all along.

 _"You have no idea what you're talking about! I didn't want to join anymore than you did! You got lucky, you didn't have to! You didn't throw you life away! But I did, and there is no taking that back. Yes, I risk my life, but that's for the welfare of my gang, my people._

Everything Raven had said, Percy could know see the meaning behind it. He had dragged him along on all those things, showing him what leaders had to do. He had acted like he was doing it since Nico was his cousin, but he been really trying to show him everything, including the hardships, and seeing if he could handle them.

"You think I should be the second leader?" Percy asked, now serious.

"Almost defiantly." Arlington answered, not looking up from the needle and thread in her hands. She was taking the hem out of one of their shirts, making it as big as possible. "Raven thought so, too."

"But, the others. Wouldn't they get jealous? Remember what happened to Kathy?" Percy asked.

Arlington sighed, setting the supplies on her lap. "Percy, they all look up to you by now. They believe that you have the guts to do it. I've already talked to them when you were gone."

"You what?" Percy asked. "But, my mom-"

"You would just keep doing what you have been." Arlington answered truthfully. "We just need to do a ceremony."

"But the brand-"

"We all agreed you don't need it on your face." she answered. "I know how you are about your family. Most gangs would make you, but with everything that's been happening…."

"I know what you mean." Percy replied. "Can you give me a bit to think about it? It's a big decision. I'm starting school and everything soon."

"I understand." Arlington said. "Just take all the time you need."

Percy nodded. "Thanks."

A week after school started, he made his final decision, and after he got out of his class, made his way to the warehouse immediately. He needed to let Arlington know.

They hadn't heard anything about Raven and Nico, and the news just kept saying the police were still looking for them. But the they knew, and the whole city knew, they had _no idea_ where they were. It was looking like the escaped for good, but Percy still worried. He knew he was going to be worrying for the rest of his life.

The Stingers hadn't set a date yet, but Arlington was getting more worried each day. She kept repeating that it wasn't like them to not do it immediately, and just kept getting more weary. She didn't like anyone in the gang going out, but she knew they had to. She would limit it as much as possible, trying to protect them from any kind of surprise attack.

When he got there, pulling his jacket around him as tightly as possible against the chilly air, he saw that the some of the teenagers were trying to get an old machine operated stove to work. If they did get it working, then they would have enough warmth to last the winter. Percy silently prayed that they did.

"Travis, Conner, how's it going?" Percy asked tow of the boys, who happened to be twins. He still couldn't tell them apart, but he was learning.

"Almost got it." one of them answered, holding up a wrench. "We're really hopeful on this, Percy. If you need Arlington, she with the little ones."

"Thanks," Percy called out, waving at them before going deeper into the warehouse. He found Arlington with the ones who were around seven to eight years old, with Nicole on her lap. She was trying to fit all of them into a jacket, seeing if she needed to take the hem out or patch any new fabric on.

"Arlington," Percy greeted, making his presence known. "Can I talk to you?"  
She looked up at him, but seeing his face, she visibly calmed down. "Sure, let me finish up here, first."

Percy nodded and watched as she finished, finally following her out when she was done. She led him to one of the few back room, closing the door behind them.

"Do you have an answer?" she asked, switching Nicole to her other hip.

Percy nodded, his lips going dry. This was life changing, even more than his last decision. But deep down, he felt he was doing the right thing.

"I except." Percy managed, looking her in the eyes. "I'll be the second leader."

Arlington smiled, which had seemed extremely rare these days. "Great. We'll start planning the ceremony immediately."


	20. Kidnapped

_**A.N: Thank you for all of the reviews! They all mean so much to me. I'm glad you all are enjoying the story, and hope you like the chapters ahead. Have a good day, ~Peyton**_

Chapter 20-

Before he knew it, September was in full swing, and all Percy could really think about was the gang, no scratch that, _his_ gang. Getting used to that idea was hard, but after awhile, he enjoyed that thought. He was finally doing something with his life, something that he was sure Raven and Nico would love him doing.

He walked down the side walk, his book bag slung over one of his shoulders. He was getting more comfortable in his position as each day went by, and he was at ease as the days went on. He tried not to think about Raven and Nico that much, since the only good thing that came out of it was putting a damper on his mood. A couple times he had managed to drag Arlington to church with him, after hearing that Raven used to go, but every time he though of him, and where he was.

If he was even alive.

That thought nagged at him the most, and made him so sick to his stomach he almost puked each time. He got over it, however, when Arlington assured him that they weren't dead. The police would have found their bodies, especially since they were searching by helicopter and ground every inch of land in America. It seemed like their pictures were always on the news, the story getting retold, over and over again.

They hadn't found them yet, however.

Percy sighed, kicking a stone with his foot, watching as it skidded crossed the fallen leaves. It didn't feel like it, and Percy could barely believe it, but it had been a year since he met the gang, since Nico got shot, since he lost his leg. That first night, Percy thought that he was going to be dead by morning. Now, he was overly comfortable there, and was their leader. He couldn't have been happier.

Except for the constant feeling of fear every time he left his house.

Percy had just left school, and for the first time in months, was going to visit Ainslic's grave. It had been dug by them, a clumsy stone set on top as a marker. They all knew where it was, but nobody else did. It had been the perfect hiding spot, and well out of the way from the city, which was why Percy didn't visit it often. It was a long walk, and he didn't have much time anymore.

He had told Arlington the day before where he was going, so she knew that he wouldn't be there at the usual time. He didn't want her to have to worry anymore than she was, and if he hadn't told her….

When Percy got to the edge of the woods, he carefully looked around before jumping the small gate. It had been put up by the owner years ago, but never stopped the various trespassers. And it certainly didn't stop them.

When Percy got to the small marker, he kneeled down beside her grave, not caring that he was already getting his pants muddy. It had rained earlier in the day, and the ground was still soft and runny. He didn't mind, though, because sitting next to her grave, he felt like he was sitting next to her again.

"Hey, Ainslic,…." Percy started, a small pain in his chest as he thought about her. Her large smile, and the way her eyes lit up when she laughed….

"I'm sorry I haven't been around in awhile, you must have been getting lonely. Arlington said you can't hear me…and that's probably true, but I like to believe you're still there, that I can still talk to you." his voice cracked, but he kept on. He knew he was alone, and nobody was thee to see the tears making their way down his checks.

"You won't believe it, but Arlington made me a leader of the gang. How cool is that? Raven and Nico are still gone, and I think about them everyday. I like to believe you're up there watching over them…..are you, Ainslic? 'Cause I can feel myself starting to lose my faith, and even right now, I'm probably talking to myself. It's funny,…huh?"

He laughed dryly, no humor evident on his face. He felt like explaining everything to her, but knew he couldn't stay there much longer. It was freezing, and he wouldn't be any help if he got pneumonia.

"I've got to go Ainslic, but I swear I'll come to visit you again, soon. I'll bring Arlington next time, and the baby. You should see her, Ainslic! Nicole's over a year old now, and she can walk and everything."

"I'm getting off topic again." Percy admitted. "Like I said before, I have to go. I love you Ainslic, and I promise, I'll be back another day. Goodbye."

He kissed the stone softly before standing up, wiping away the tears from his face. He didn't want to go back looking like he had been crying, even though he could blame it on the cold. He really didn't know _what_ he wanted anymore.

Before he could move, however, he heard a twig snap behind him, and the next thing he knew, he had a knife pressed up against his throat, his capture holding him from behind.

"You're going to do exactly as I say." he snarled into Percy's ear, pressing the knife harder into his neck.

Percy knew the voice, but couldn't think of who's it was. He nodded as much as he was able before he was pushed to the ground, and then something hit him hard on his head. Before he blacked out, he could see two blue eyes staring into his.

Arlington paced up and down, her hands tightly knotted together. Percy should have been back already, _hours_ ago, and her anxiety started to take a hold on her. She didn't know where he was, or even where to look. All she could really do, even though she hated to admit it, was to stay and wait. Which proved to be the hardest thing she had ever done in her life.

Percy woke up with his mouth gagged and his hands tied behind his back. A blindfold was over his eyes, so he couldn't see a thing, but he could hear the noises around him. A bird chirping here, a tree rustling there.

He was still in the woods.

Percy tried to think of _any_ way of escape, but his head hurt so bad he could barely even remember his name. The sharp pains ran through each side, causing him to flinch every time he moves, even a slight change. He didn't know if he should alert them that he was awake or not, but knew he had to do _something_. He couldn't just sit there forever.

Before he could make up his mind, however, his blindfold was ripped off, and standing in front of him was no other than Luke Castellan. He held the blindfold teasingly in his right hand, his head tilted as he gazed at Percy.

"So, what do we have here?" he asked, looking at him with disgust. "A _Rebel per l'umanita_. You should have joined our gang, kid. You would, at least, be in _much_ better circumstances than you are now."

Percy glared at him, but couldn't respond because of the gag.

"What were you doing in the woods, boy?" Luke continued. "Is one of you idiot friends buried there?"

Percy's body trembled with rage. _Nobody_ insulted Ainslic.

He tried to lash out as him, but only seemed to hurt his wrists against the bonding.

Luke laughed, clenching his stomach as he dubbed over. "Your pathetic! Haven't you ever been captured before?"

Percy tried to keep his anger under control and think of a way out, but nothing came to mind. He had never been in a situation like this before, and he couldn't even scream out because of the gag. It was hopeless.

The laughter died from Luke's eyes, and he advanced towards Percy again. He leaned down and looked him in the eyes. "Where is the rest of your little gang?"

He ripped the gag out of his mouth, expecting an answer, but all Percy could think to do was spit right in his face.

Luke stumbled backwards, wiping his face off on his sleeve. "You little-"

He stopped mid sentence, eyeing Percy before going up and smacking him, reapplying the gag before walking away.

"Have fun out here by yourself for the night!" Luke called, leaving Percy alone, with only the stinging in his cheek for comfort.

Even though he knew how bad the situation was, one thought stopped Percy from losing all hope.

The Stingers didn't know he was one of the leaders.


	21. Telling

Chapter 21-

Jason knew something was wrong with Percy, something big. Nobody changed that much, that fast. Even what happened to Nico…..he shouldn't have changed that much.  
But he did.  
Jason didn't know what to think about his cousin anymore. He started to become distant and brooding, talking to them as little as possible. He didn't seem to care about his work, anymore, and dropped out of the swim class all together. He always was wearing those long sleeves…..  
The last time Jason saw somebody act like that…it was Nico.  
Jason shot up in his bed, his mind going overtime as he finally started to figure it out. Nico had been in the gang, who says Percy wasn't?  
He got up quietly, to not wake his family, and quickly slipped on his shoes before grabbing his jacket and exiting his room. When he finally found himself out of his house, successfully not waking anybody up, he started to walk off. He needed time to think about some things, and how he could approach Percy about it. Would he tell him the truth, or would Percy spin him another web of lies?  
He knew he shouldn't enter the forest, but it was close to home, and he had been going there for awhile. But it was three in the morning, and from growing up in New York, Jason couldn't stop himself from getting all these different scenarios in his brain.  
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Jason lipped into the forest, knowing the owner and not worrying about trespassing. It was his step mother's, after all.

Arlington shivered against the cold, but continued on as she made her way down the streets of New York. It hadn't snowed yet, but the temperature was getting colder each day. She knew it wouldn't be long until it did, and then they would be fighting to stay warm. It wasn't something that was very inviting.  
She breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the lobby of the apartment, the warmth flowing back into her bones. She knew she couldn't stay long, however; it was getting very late and Percy was still missing.  
She found the apartment number and knocked lightly, not wanting to wake anybody else in the building. After a couple minutes, the door was cracked open, and a woman's face became visible.  
"Who are you, and what do you want?" she asked, her voice filled with anxiety.  
Arlington bit her lip, knowing what she had to do, even though raven would never let her. "My name is Allyson, and I was wondering if Percy was here. I haven't seen him and got worried."  
The woman looked at her for a second before opening the door all the way, revealing that she was wearing only her pajamas, but had a baseball bat in her hand.  
"Your one of his 'new friends'?" she asked, looking her up and down. "Percy speaks highly of you all."  
Arlington's breath caught in her throat. "He talks about us?"  
"Very vaguely." she admitted. "I'm Sally Jackson, by the way. Percy's mother."  
"Nice t meet you, Sally." Arlington answered politely. "Can I come in…? I have some things to talk about. I'm guessing Percy's not here."  
Sally shook her head. "No, he's not. I thought he was with you guys."  
Arlington's brain clouded with worry even more than it had been. "That's not good…"  
"You will explain everything to me?" Sally asked, motioning for her to come inside. "Then we'll figure it out all together."  
Arlington nodded and walked in, freezing when Sally closed the door behind her. Her gang reflects told her to find another way out, but she ignored them when she remembered that she was in Percy's house. She was fine.  
She followed Sally to t he kitchen table, where Sally motioned for her to sit. Arlington did, reluctantly, and took a deep breath before explaining everything, staring a year ago when Percy brought them Nico, slowly bleeding out.

Percy had fallen asleep some time in the night, only to be rudely awoken by someone he couldn't see, the darkness to vibrant in the night. He was roughly pulled off of the ground and dragged into a sitting position, where his gag was ripped off.  
"Percy?! What happened!?"  
Percy knew that voice, but his brain was so fuzzy he couldn't seem to pin it to one person. Images of Nico and Raven popped into his brain, and for one split second, he thought he saw one of them staring down at him.  
"Raven….I knew you'd come." Percy managed to speak, his lips raw and bloody from the cold air.  
"Raven….? Who is that? No, Percy, I'm-"  
Before the voice could finish the sentence, Percy passed out, the ground coming up to meet him too fast for his liking.

When Arlington finished her story, Sally stared at with shock. She hadn't moved the whole time, and was still sitting as still as a statue, which started to freak her out a little.  
"Sally, are you alright?" Arlington asked wearily.  
Sally brought her eyes up to look in Arlington's, her face seeming to look older as each second trickled on.  
"I-I'm guessing Allyson isn't you real name?" she asked quietly.  
Arlington nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. "No, it's not. My name is Arlington."  
"So," Sally started, trying to piece everything together. "Percy went to visit this girl's…grave…and he hasn't been back since?"  
"That's right." Arlington answered. "I could go look in that forest, but by the time I got there…."  
Sally nodded, about to say something, but the doorbell rang, and someone knocked continuously.  
"Quick, sweetie, go hide in that closet. I've got it!" Sally told Arlington, pointing to small closet in the hall. She didn't like it, but Arlington followed what Sally had said, squeezing herself in the closet, pulling the door closed. As soon as it was closed, she heard Sally open the other.


	22. Jason Grace

Chapter 22-

Percy woke up, still tied up, but jolting. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did, he realized that someone was carrying him over their shoulder and running, not paying any attention to him. He could feel the frantic beating of the person's heartbeat, and in a second, the thoughts of earlier came rushing back.

"Nerceer…." he slurred, trying to say his cousin's name. His head was just as fuzzy, his brain seeming not to be able to work. The bouncing wasn't help much, either. He felt the shoulders tense beneath him, but he received no answer.

Percy shakily raised his head, then quickly put it back down, learning that that wasn't a good idea. He immediately felt like he was going to throw up, his stomach twisting and turning as the minutes went on. Eventually, he was pretty sure he did throw up, but could never be sure. That whole night had been a blur.

Percy heard a sudden scream, followed by footsteps, and then he was welcomed into the all too familiar blackness, again. 

Arlington squeezed in on herself as she fit into the closet, trying to keep her breathing under control so they wouldn't hear her. Whoever was there, whatever they wanted…..they could have come for her.

She heard the door open, and the muffled voices filling the apartment. She couldn't hear what they were saying, or what gender they were, but knew not to peek out and see. She knew by now that she would wait until Sally got her, even if it took all night. She couldn't risk herself; she had a baby back in the warehouse and a whole gang looking up to her. Not to mention Percy needed her help, and she couldn't let him die. It was her fault for letting him join, not his. She could have stopped it, she could have saved him…. Why was it that everybody around her was dropping like flies?

When it felt like the air was getting so stuffy she couldn't breathe, Sally finally opened the door, staring at her with wide eyes. It only took Arlington a second to realize something was wrong, and then she sprinted out of the closet and into the living room, where she saw Percy, bleeding, laying on the couch, with a blond she didn't know sitting on the floor beside him. The blond was covered in Percy's blood, head to toe, but didn't seem to notice. He just continued to stare at Percy, as if he was still in shock.

"What happened?!" Arlington asked, running up to Percy. She lifted his head, seeing that a large lump was on the back, the area bruised and bleeding. Percy himself was out cold, eyes not even fluttering when she touched him.

"W-Who are you?" the boy asked, backing up from her. "How do you know him?"

She glanced down at him, but didn't have to answer, since Sally came in the room.

"Tell us, Jason." she commanded, setting down a bowl of water beside Percy and multiple towels.

Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair, spreading the crusting blood over his blond head. "I-I was walking in the woods, I couldn't sleep. They were my step mother's, you know. And I found him….."

"Are you hurt, Jason?" Sally asked, watching as Arlington took control over Percy's injuries. She began to clean them with the water, cursing as it spilled all over the couch.

"I don't know." Jason managed to get out. "Those guys came…"

He broke off, staring off as he re-lived what had just happened. He seemed unable to get passed that part in his story, but Arlington snapped her head around to face him.

"Boys? What did they look like?" she asked sharply, taking her hands off Percy's head for a second, not realizing that Sally continued the task after her.

"I don't know…" Jason was close to crying. "They came, and they, they had guns…. They were shooting after us, but I just keep on running. They were cursing, screaming, some even tried to run after. But, but, I run track. I got away from them."

"They were shooting at you?" Sally asked, horrified, but Arlington was unfazed.

"Did one of the guys have a scar on his face, with blond hair?" she asked.

Jason shock his head, unable to answer.

"Jason, I need to know!" Arlington pressed, trying to get Jason out of his shocked state. "Think for me, okay?"

After a second, Jason slowly nodded, as if second guessing himself. "Yeah…I think so."

Arlington cursed, standing up and starting to pace. "I knew it! I knew they were going to do something!"

"Who?" Sally asked quietly, wrapping her son's head in bandages.

"The Stingers." Arlington pressed her fists against her temple. "I shouldn't have let him go! Now, he's hurt,…and…"

"Alive." Sally replied, standing up to put her hand on Arlington's shoulder. "He's still alive. That's all that matters. You should know that."

"Yeah, I guess." Arlington replied quietly.

Sally sighed, looking at them. "Why don't we all sit down for some tea, hmm? We need to all calm down."

"Yeah, sure." Arlington replied. "It's just, what if they followed Jason?"

"They didn't." he answered, his voice more strained. "They knew they didn't have to."

"What are you talking about?" Arlington asked, again on defense mode. She put one hand up in front of her and the other on the hidden knife in her pocket.

Jason tilted his head and smiled a sad smile, before standing up. As soon as he did, however, Arlington could see the thing she missed, too worried about Percy in the heat of the moment.

The single bullet hole in Jason's chest, his own blood covering him, not Percy's.

Then he dropped.


	23. Untrusting

_**A.N: Thanks for the reviews! The chapter kind of explains things more, so I hope you like it. ~Peyton**_

Chapter 23-

Arlington didn't make a move, but stared sadly at Jason's body. Sally had ran up to him, and tried to suppress the bleeding with her hands, but Arlington had grown up on the streets. Her own parents were murdered in front of her, and many of her friends, too.

She knew when someone was dead.

She had known the boy for barely ten minutes, but felt a gratitude for him. He had risked his life to save Percy, and had carried him all the way back, while bleeding out the whole time. Now that she knew that Jason was shot, she could see that most of the blood was his, not Percy's. It made Percy's wound seem smaller, his condition less deadly. She visibly relaxed, but then felt bad about it.

Jason was someone's son.

Arlington bit her lip, looking down as Sally tried to resuscitate him. "Sally, he's gone…. There's nothing else you can do."

Sally looked up at hr with tears stained eyes. "He's my nephew. How am I supposed to tell his father that he's….?"

She looked helpless, holding his head in her lap, slowly stroking his hair. The body was already turning pale and lifeless, and knowing what it would look like soon enough, Arlington winced and closed her eyes.

Which was a very bad idea.

The images of her parents' bodies flashed through her mind, their lifeless eyes and colorless skin almost taunting her. She could still remember how the moonlight reflected off of them, as if trying to get all the world to see. Blood was everywhere; over them, the ground.

Over her.

Arlington opened her eyes, shivering at the memory. She hated the way she saw them in her dreams, in her subconscious, when ever her eye lids closed. Nightmares were more frequent then the good dreams, and lately, the good dreams kept getting smaller and smaller. Soon, it looked like, they wouldn't be there at all. Not to mention, her friends faces seemed to adapt to the scene and put themselves in there.

Nights were torture.

Arlington shook her head. "Let him go, it's his time."

The tears produced themselves from Sally's eyes, but she nodded, knowing that the she was right. He was gone, and there was no getting him back.

Arlington looked over Sally's bent form and out the window, where she could see the first rays of sunshine making their way over the city. It had been a long night, and she knew she had to get back soon, but she couldn't stand to leave Sally alone with the two boys.

The one boy and the corpse.

"Sally, why don't we go sit down, talk everything over?" Arlington asked quietly, gently maneuvering Sally over to the kitchen table, sitting her down in one of the chairs.

"His body…" Sally managed, choking back a sob. "He needs to be buried….How am I going to tell his sister?"

"He's got a sister?" Arlington asked, also sitting down. She didn't want to go and inform somebody that he died from gang related activities, but it seemed like she had no choice. Sally was in no shape to do it.

Sally nodded. "Her name's Thalia Grace-"

Arlington's head shot up. "Thalia Grace?!"

"Yeah," Sally looked at her. "Why? What's wrong?"

Arlington bit her lip, deciding how to answer. "Thalia…I've met her before. We've met a few times on the streets, or at a rumble."

"Rumble?" Sally asked. "Isn't that a gang fight?"

Arlington nodded. "Thalia's part of this all-girl gang. They aren't related in a lot, but I've met them. They seem nice enough. I'm glad because she will at least understand what happened."

"Thalia." Sally looked in disbelief. "Are you going to go tell her now? I can't have his body laying in my apartment. Paul's coming home tomorrow from visiting his sick grandmother."

"Paul…?" Arlington waved it off. "Never mind. Not important. Umm, yeah, I'll go see if I can find her. You will keep an eye on Percy?"

Before Sally could answer, the door opened, causing Arlington to jump out of her seat and sprint to the living room, Sally behind her, to see a teenager, about Percy's age, strolling through the doorway, a key in his hand.

"Percy, we're supposed to do our project-" he stopped short, staring at Percy and Jason, and the blood covering them and the living room.

His eyes widened, and without saying anything, he turned around slowly and left the apartment, not bothering to close the door behind him.

"Who was that?" Arlington asked quickly.

"Leo, Percy's friend," Sally answered. She went to run after Leo, but he was long gone.

Arlington's brain froze. Already, someone had seen, and she had no idea if she could trust him or not.

Was he calling the police right at that second?

Without sparing a glance at Sally, Arlington sprinted out of the room, throwing the door closed behind her, and went down the steps two at a time.

She needed to find Leo.

 ** _6666666666666666666666Line Break66666666666666666666666666666666_**

Leo was having a bad enough day, with having to get up as early as his body allowed him to work on a project with Percy, which was already late, and try to make it to his mother's birthday before she skinned him alive (he was two hours late last year). He had used the key Percy had lent him at school, knowing that Percy wouldn't mind him letting himself in. He would probably still be asleep anyways.

When he opened the door, the last thing he expected was Jason laying on the floor, a pool of blood around him, and Percy on the couch, his head wrapped up in bandages. At first, he thought they were playing a joke on him, but he had volunteered at the hospital multiple times. He knew real blood from fake.

His eyes widened, seeing that Jason was already paler than a ghost. He didn't know what to say, or how, and didn't even want to question it. The cousins were pretty weird, especially after Nico went missing, and didn't want to get tied up in anything bad.

So he turned around and left.

He was halfway down the street when a girl, around twenty ran up and gripped the sleeve of his arm, dragging him into a nearby alley.

"Wha-?"

"Shh!" she held her hand over his mouth, pressing him against the wall. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you."

Leo could see the gang symbol, right along her collarbone, and tensed up even more.

"Listen, Leo." she hissed. "This is about what you saw at Percy's apartment."

Leo froze, obviously having not saw her there. "You know my name."

She rolled her eyes. "Sally told me. Look, you can't tell anyone what you saw there, got it? No one."

"But…are they….?"

"Yes," she answered coldly. "Well, at least Jason is. Percy's going to be fine. You can't tell anyone until we found out where his killer is."

"Killer?" Leo asked weakly. "He was murdered?"

She nodded. "You need to promise, okay?"

He nodded.

Sighing, she let him go, but Leo saw the look on her face.

She didn't trust him, and he didn't trust her.


	24. The Hunters of Artemis

Chapter 24-

She got back to the apartment building, knocking on the door softly, to not scare Sally. When she opened the door for Arlington, she could see that she had calmed down considerably, but was still extremely upset.

"Come in," she said, closing the door behind her.

When Arlington entered the living room, she saw that Jason had been covered by a thin blanket, one of his hands poking out. Percy still rested on the couch, a blanket covering him up to his chin. Most of the blood had been wiped up.

"I clean when I'm nervous." Sally explained, gesturing Arlington over top the kitchen table. It was around ten, the sun high up, and neither had slept yet.

Arlington tried to stifle a yawn as Sally started the coffee maker. "Do you trust Leo?"

Sally looked over at her. "What did he say?"

"I made him promise not to tell anybody, but I've never met him before in my life." Arlington explained. "How do I know that I don't have to follow him everywhere he goes?"

"Leo's a good boy." Sally chose her words carefully. "If he believes it's for Percy's sake, he will not tell."

Arlington pursed her lips. "I have to go back out anyways and try to find Thaila. I'll look for him then. Do you know where he lives?"

Sally shook her head. "I know it's not too far. An apartment complex. I wish I could give you more, but-"

"It's fine, I understand." Arlington answered. "Thank you. Well, see you."

"Yeah, bye." Sally waved her hand as Arlington got up to leave. Before she got to the door, however, Sally stopped her with a hug.

The first sincere hug she had had since she was four.

The cold air clung to her as she made her way down the streets, stopping to look in every alley. She had no idea where the Hunters of Artemis' hideout was, but she needed to find Thalia. Maybe she would help her avenge her brother's death.

Arlington watched as a group of teenagers passed, laughing hysterically at something one of them said. They were all wrapped up tight in winter apparel, things Arlington knew she would never be fortunate enough to wear. They all passed by without noticing her, too preoccupied with their own little world.

Their safe world.

One of the last stragglers bumped into her, and she had to bite her lip to stop the rude remarks. She was fed up with people taking their lives for granted, thinking, without even knowing it, that all those stories they heard about people starving and being murdered were somehow fake, unreal. And in their world, they were fake.

The boy was about to apologize, but saw her thin, ragged clothes, and they gang symbol poking out of her shirt, and shut his mouth quickly, running to catch up with his friends.

They were always scared of her, these days. Nico and Raven had made themselves too public. Now, everyone knew them. Were they ever going to be truly free?

She doubted it.

Murders stayed with you until your dying day. This, she knew from experience.  
She continued walking on.

 _ **666666666666666666666Line Break66666666666666666**_

Leo felt like he was being followed.

He would turn and look behind him every two minutes, but nobody was there. Still, he couldn't stop the feeling. Ever since that girl had pulled him aside…he didn't feel safe.

When he finally got to his and his mother's apartment, he hurried and slipped inside, bolting the door behind him. The gang symbol he had seen on the girl…it was the gang that killed Annabeth's little brother.

"Leo, your back early." his grandmother called from the kitchen, where she was making his mother dinner.

"Yeah, Percy and I finished really fast." he lied, coming into the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday, mom." he greeted, kissing her on the cheek before sitting opposite her at the table.

"Thanks, Leo." she replied, smiling. "Your on time this year."

Leo smile sheepishly. "Last year you told me it was at two in the afternoon!"

"Keep defending yourself," his grandmother laughed. "It ain't ever going to be the truth."

The party started off without any problems, and Leo was having a pretty good time. Until the doorbell rang.

He went to answer it, and his heart sank when he saw it was the girl from earlier that morning. When she saw him, she looked relived, but quickly hid it.

"Can I talk to you in private?" she asked, shuffling from one foot to the other.

Leo looked nervously back at his family than nodded, closing the door behind him and entering the hallway.

"I thought we talked about this already?" he asked. "And I want to know how you know my name."

"Sally told me." she dismissed. "Look, I just need to let you know how important it is that you keep this morning a secret."

"You already told me." Leo replied. "I'm not aloud to tell anyone."

"Or they'll come and take Percy." she cut in. "For Percy's sake, this has to remain a secret."

"Who will take Percy?" Leo asked, not knowing if he truly wanted the answer.

The girl pressed her lips. "I can't tell you. Just, please, for Percy' sake, stay quiet."

And then she was gone, leaving Leo in the hallway, unsure how to react to it all. But one question stuck in his mind.

Was Percy and Jason in the gang, too?

 _ **Line Breakkkkkk**_

Arlington finally found Thalia, at a small outdoor coffee shop. She was with a few more girls, all of which Arlington knew to be part of the gang, The Hunters of Artemis.

She walked up quietly, as to not alarm the girls. They all had to have been carrying some kind of weapon, and if they thought she was attacking them….

One of the girls saw her, her hand going directly to her pocket. This caught the others attention, because they all turned to look at Arlington, who held up her hands in peace. Slowly, she made her way next to them.

"Rebel per l'umanita. What is your business here?" Thalia asked, eyeing her closely. "I hear you are their leader now?"

Arlington nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. The smell of coffee around her made the twenty-four hours she had been up seem like so much more. The cold was suffocating her, seeming to go into the very marrow of her bones.

"Sit down and talk?" a girl asked, gesturing to an empty seat. "My name's Phoebe, by the way."

Arlington nodded, sitting down beside her. "My name's Arlington."

"So I've heard." Thalia mused. "What happened to Raven? And the one you guys got a prosthetic?"

Arlington bit her lip. "You've heard. They've been all over the news. Raven doesn't want to get arrested again."

"So they ran." Phoebe laughed. "No wonder the police can't find them."

"What did you think?" Arlington asked.

"Rumor had it that they were dead." Thalia replied soberly. "I mean we all know what happened to Ai-"

"Yes, we do." Arlington sharply replied. "There's no need to bring that up. This is about the Stingers."

"Why do they concern us?" Thalia asked. "They are not our rivals, nor our friends. There's a reason for that."

"They're going to be your rivals soon enough." Arlington bit her lip. Telling the family was always the hard part. If it was her decision, she wouldn't tell them at all.

Thalia stared at her. "What did they do?"

"Do you want to talk somewhere in private? It's about Jason." Arlington replied quietly.

Thalia knew that look. Her face hardened and her fists shook from fury; her voice, however, was oddly calm. "They killed my baby brother? Why would they even target him?"

"He was saving Percy." Arlington explained. "They shot him when he was running."

Thalia got up abruptly, scaring the others with her sudden action.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" she asked, yanking Arlington to her feet. "You helping me get back at them or not? It's two gangs against one."


	25. Nicole

Chapter 25-

"Do you think our gangs will trust each other?" Arlington asked as they walked down the streets, heading toward The Hunters of Artemis' hideout.

Thalia shrugged. "Doubt it. What do you have in mind?"

"Showing the whole gang each other's hideouts." Arlington answered. "You tell your girls where ours is, and I'll tell mine where yours is."

"That way they won't tell, because their own would be in jeopardy." Thalia agreed. "Good idea. You up for it?"

"Yeah, we need to end the Stingers. They're getting too bold." Arlington answered, shivering as a gust of wind came up to meet her. "Please tell me you have a fire or something."

"Yeah, we've got heat." Thalia answered, forgetting that her gang was in a better position than Arlington's. "You?"

"We got a small thing working. We usually all sleep around it." she explained. "There isn't a lot of room, though."

After a moment of silence, Thalia stopped Arlington. "We're here."

"A hotel?" Arlington asked. "You're not serious."

Thalia shrugged. "My dad owns it. We stay in the basement, he turns his eye."

"Ah, so you're one of those rich gangs." Arlington noticed for the first time the fine linen coat Thalia wore, which fit perfectly, not un-hemmed or ripped. The Hunters of Artemis had money, and they didn't.

Thalia stuck out her tongue. "You coming in or not? You look like you're going to get pneumonia."

"Probably already have it." Arlington muttered quietly under her breath, following Thalia into the hotel.

When they got inside, the blast of heat made her stop for a second. She stood and closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of being warm, and not the constant feeling of shivering and the exhaustion that came with it. It was nice, but she knew that soon enough, she would be re-exposed to the coldness.

"You coming?" Thalia asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Arlington replied, running to catch up with her, who was at the top of the basement steps.

"Well, no one would guess where this was." Arlington commented.

Thalia looked over at her. "Thanks, I guess."

When they got down to the over sized basement, Arlington saw that there was mattresses and blankets spread out crossed the floor, covering the area with sleeping things. Girls, from twelve to about nineteen, were in a circle, plans for something in front of them. At first, they saw Thalia, and were about to say something, then they saw Arlington behind her.

"What is _she_ doing here?" one of them asked, pointing her finger at Arlington. "Pinecone face, you're telling _that_ gang our secret hideout!"

" ' _That_ gang' is actually going to help you, for your information!" Arlington growled, putting her hands on her hips. "We didn't do _anything_ to you guys!"

"But the Stingers did." Thalia said quietly. "Which is why Arlington is here."

"What did they do?" the same girl asked sheepishly.

Thalia bit her lip, but otherwise showed no emotion. She needed to be strong, for her gang. Arlington saw that mirrored on her own face every day.

"While trying to murder Percy Jackson, one of the rebel per l'umanita, that shot Jason, my younger brother. He's dead now. They messed with the wrong ones." she explained. "We're going to get back at them, now, with Arlington's help."

"Percy is alive, but unconscious." Arlington put in, cutting off the other questions. "But they still have hurt us a lot. And to gain your full trust, I will tell you where we live. That way, we are all on the same page. There's an old warehouse a couple blocks down. 1971, I think. Just knock, and say who you are."

"Everyone understand that?" Thalia asked.

They all nodded, but one hand shot up. "How are we going to get back at them?"

Thalia smiled evilly. "Just leave that to us."

 _ **LLLine BBBreakkkkk**_

Sleep deprivation was really starting to get to Arlington.

Multiple times, if it wasn't for Thalia, she would have fallen asleep walking. She wasn't alert, and relied on Thalia to look out for any Stingers. The knife in her pocket felt heavy, and her small shoes dragged as she walked.

As soon as she got back and Thalia left, she was going to sleep, even if it was two in the afternoon.

"Do you want to stop for another coffee?" Thalia asked, after she caught Arlington from falling to the ground.

"I don't have any money." Arlington explained sleepily. "You know that."

Thalia looked down at her, which was easy, since Arlington was only about 5'2. "I do."

After they got the coffee, Arlington promising to pay her back, even though they both knew it wouldn't happen, they were out walking again, trying to avoid police or other gang members. It was getting to the their territory, so they didn't see much, but they were still alert, they had to be.

When they got to the warehouse, Arlington knew something was off. There was barely any sounds when she listened, and she could hear a sobbing, slow and mournful.

Someone was dead. That was her first thought and instinct. She shared a look with Thalia before sprinting into the building, Thalia close behind, to see that there was only a couple people there.

"What's wrong?" Arlington asked. Then, she noticed Conner's guilty look, and Travis looking like her was trying to swallow a frog. And then it hit her.

"Where's Nicole?" she asked quietly, staring at her fellow gang members. She looked at each of their faces, each one filled with guilt. She repeated it again, more strongly.

Conner shook his head, but didn't answer.

" _Where is_ Nicole?"


	26. Getting Ready

_**A.N: It's getting close to the end, so hopefully the chapters will become more longer. Sorry I haven't updated, but I'm hoping to update more than I have been. ~Peyton**_

Chapter 26-

"She's gone." Travis managed to breathe out.

"What do you mean, 'she's gone'?" Arlington asked coldly. "Weren't you guys supposed to be watching her?"

"We were!" Conner defended. "Then next thing we know, she's gone! Everyone's looking for her, I swear!"

"How long has she been gone?" she asked, fidgeting the whole time. She needed to find her baby, her daughter. She couldn't lose anybody else.

"A couple hours." Travis admitted. Before he finished speaking, however, Arlington ran out, paying no attention to Thalia, who came running after her.

Arlington ran down street after street, checking each inch of it before going to the next. There was so many people, milling around, chatting, strolling. Could one of them have picked her up, taking her with them?

She looked and looked, but after awhile, she collapsed in an alleyway, exhausted from running. Her head was spinning, thinking of _any_ possibility of where her baby was. Nicole couldn't have gone far, she was only a year old. She could barely walk, but could crawl pretty fast. But, if somebody saw her, they would almost defiantly pick her up, maybe take her to a police office.

Or take her for themselves.

"Arlington, relax." Thalia sat down beside her, having followed the whole way. She was breathing heavily, but didn't seem to mind. "Now, tell me, _who_ is Nicole?"

"My daughter." Arlington replied quietly, feeling a tear slip from her eye. Quickly, she wiped it away. "She's about a year old."

"Oh," Thalia didn't know how to respond. "Look, we'll find her. She's got to be okay."

"It's _New York_ , Thalia." Arlington moaned, unsure if she was going to see Nicole again. "She can barely talk. What if nobody noticed her? She could have gotten taken, or stepped on, or-"

"Now your just thinking about all the bad possibilities." Thalia cut in. "Could her father have found her?"

A shadow passed over Arlington's face. "He's dead,"

Again, Thalia was shocked. "How?"

Arlington shook her head. "Can we just, not talk about this? Please?"

"Yeah, sorry." Thalia apologized. "Of course, it should still be a sore subject. We should get moving again, anyways. The sooner we find her, the better."

"I wouldn't look anymore." a voice said, coming from down the alley.

Arlington stood up quickly, facing to where it came from. She knew that voice, but she couldn't pinpoint who it was. It made her nervous, though, edgy. Something was wrong, she could feel it in every bone.

"Show yourself!" Thalia called from beside Arlington, clenching a knife to her tightly. Arlington also drew her's.

Laughing, Luke stepped out of the shadows, the scar on his face looking but dominate in the dim lighting. In one hand he held a gun, pointing at them, and in the other, a small bundle, wrapped and…moving.

"Nicole!" Arlington yelped, moving to reach out to her, out Luke raised his gun more threateningly, causing her to stop in her tracks.

"I would stop if you don't want to get shot." he advised, looked satisfied with the situation. "And you're going to listen to me if you want you daughter back."

"She's a _baby_!" Arlington cried out. "Just let her go!"

Luke smirked. "I don't think so. You've got to be at the old abandoned park, tomorrow at eight, your whole gang. We've got a rumble planed. Rules: no weapons of any choice. If the police show up, scatter, but if you do, you won't see Nicole again."

"You can't use a baby as bait!" Thalia cried out. For the first time, Luke seemed to notice her. Different expressions crossed his face, but he soon masked them.

"And I don't listen to you, Hunter. You aren't my mother." Luke snapped back.

"Your mother's dead." Thalia replied. "Count on the Hunters being there, too. You're going to be outnumbered, Castellan."

Luke's face twisted up. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

Then he was gone, before Arlington had a chance to react.

They walked back to the hideout numbly, Arlington to frozen with fear to speak. She knew that whatever Luke wanted for Nicole, she would give it. She wasn't strong enough to see her daughter die, not after every that happened. She couldn't let it happened, no matter what. But when she finally did get her back, Luke was going to pay.

Thalia explained everything to the gang, Arlington unable to speak. Then she left, leaving her to have nothing to do, but sit in agony, waiting for the next day. How were they ever going to beat the Stingers, with a gang full of kids? The Hunters had more teenagers, but the Stingers were a _big_ gang. They even had some men over twenty five. The odds were not in their favor, and Arlington knew her luck was absolutely terrible.

Why did Raven chose her to be leader? Some days, she wished she could leave it all behind. She was almost envious of Nico and Raven, who could live freely. Then, however, she remembered _why_ they were gone. Accused of murders, if they got caught, they might get the death penalty. That's what the news had been saying, after all.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep with the anxiety clawing its way through her chest, Arlington got up and headed out to Percy's one more time. When she got there, Sally opened the door, looking more relaxed then when Arlington left that morning.

"Percy's awake." she explained, letting her in and closing the door behind her. "He's been asking to see you."

Arlington smiled sadly, wanting to take relief in the moment, but she couldn't get her mind off of Nicole. Knowing Luke, if the baby became too much, he would kill it on the spot.

She went and kneeled down beside the couch, were Percy was still laying, his eyes bloodshot but open. He was awake, and alert.

"Arlington, what happened? I only remember Nico, and Luke, and then I was on the ground." Percy rambled, still overly confused with the night before.

"Percy, Nico wasn't there." Arlington said quietly. "He's still gone."

"No, he's not!" Percy defended, sitting up, with protests from his mom. "He was there, I know it! He picked me up, and got me away from Luke!"

Arlington's face dropped. "Percy, that wasn't Nico. That was Jason."

Percy scrunched up his eyebrows, in denial. "No, it was Nico. He came back to save me."

"No it wasn't!" Arlington yelled, too worried about Nicole to argue anymore. This shut Percy up, because he wasn't used to her having a temper. "Jason found you, and brought you here! He got shot in the process, and he died!"

Percy's eyes widened. "Your lying to me. I know you are. Jason wouldn't get involved with this stuff-"

"Nico said the same thing about you when we first met." Arlington interrupted. "He said you would just ignore everything and go on with your life. But here you are, the leader of the gang-"

"Arlington, my mom!"

"She knows, Percy!" Arlington hissed. ""I _had_ to tell her! Look, we need to get you healed up, because we've got a rumble tomorrow, and if we don't win, I won't get Nicole back. _God_ , I wish Raven was here."

"Nicole? Why do they have Nicole?" Percy asked, finally coming to terms with what had happened.

"Luke got her." Arlington replied miserably. "He's holding her as bait. If we don't win the rumble, he kills her. If the police show up, he kills her. Thalia is going to help, but-"

"Thalia Grace? My cousin?" Percy asked. "She's in your gang, too?"

"No, she's in another." Arlington waved his question away. " _Just_ listen to me. We need to win this. I'm not losing anybody else, I'm _not_. I'll die before then."

"Weapons?" Percy asked wearily.

"None." she replied, shaking her head. "Just fist on fist. Bare hands."

Percy smirked. "Well, then. I'm in. I can actually throw a pretty good punch if I need to. And besides, I need to get back at Luke as much as we need to get Nicole back."

Arlington smiled. "Sounds good to me."


	27. Burying the Dead

Chapter 27-

That night, Arlington finally got some sleep, for the first time in twenty four hours. It was restless and uneasy, however, with the anxiety for Nicole consuming her. Her dreams were filled with her trying to run after Nicole, but not being able to. She woke several times throughout the night, which seemed to go on forever.

But the next day came, eventually.

Arlington woke in the early morning, stepping outside to see that the sky was a very light blue, the sparks of sunlight barely coming over the horizon. It was silent, the grayness of the day showing around. No one spoke, nothing stirred. She could faintly hear the hum of the city, but even that, too, was dimmed in her mind. By that night, she was either going to be filled with joy or so overcome with sadness she would never be able to get up again. Whatever happened, she knew it was meant to be. A long time ago, she learned not to question anything; for that never got her anywhere. Sorrow didn't, either, but that was impossible to ignore. She did try her best, though.

But wasn't it good to feel a little sad every once and awhile? To make sure you were still human?

She didn't know, but for the first time, she let herself sob all of her terrors away.

 _ **Line Breakkkkk**_

Percy got dressed, knowing that they were coming to take Jason's body soon. They were going to bury him next to Ainslic's, but this time, they were going to get a headstone with Thalia's money. They were going to meet at nine in the morning at Percy's apartment, though he didn't know how they were going to sneak the body out. Somebody was bound to see and stop them. How did they think they were going to get away with it?

He knew the rumble was at eight, so they would have enough time to get back and get ready. Still, Percy worried, his heart going a thousand miles a minute. Yet, he could only imagine what Arlington must have been feeling. Her daughter, the only member left in her family, would most likely be dead by the end of the day. If Percy was her, he would have probably given up a long time ago.

He got on his best outfit, careful to look his best for his cousin's funeral. He had died to save Percy's life, and he didn't even know why Percy was in danger. Percy had always thought it was going to be the other way around, since he was the one in the gang. But the Fates were mysterious, cruel. You could never really tell for sure what they were planning. Percy didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts, causing him to lose the grip on his tie, it falling to the floor. Quickly, he retrieved it, then hurried to answer the door. When he did, Arlington, Thalia, Isaiah, and Drake were there.

"You ready?" Percy asked, seeing that both of the girl's eyes were bloodshot.

"Yes, let's get going." Arlington rushed, squeezing into the apartment around Percy, who hadn't had a chance to move out of the way yet.

Percy sent a questioning look to Drake, who only shrugged in response, following her in. When they were all in, Percy closed the door behind them.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Percy asked.

"Put a hoodie on him and put the hood up." Thalia explained. "I volunteer Percy's hoodie and the boys to carry him."

"I agree." Arlington crossed her arm over her chest.

Percy protested, "But why _my_ hoodie?!"

"Because you're the only one that has one." Arlington shot back.

Percy nodded sheepishly, embarrassed that he hadn't thought about that. "I'll go get one."

When he got the blue hoodie and came back, the others were already unwrapping the blankets that were around Jason, or, well, his body. Percy had gotten used to the faint rotting smell, but now that the blankets were gone, it hit him full blast. Gagging, he staggered backwards, holding his nose in his hands.

"Man up, Percy." Isaiah called out. "Come over here and get the hoodie on him."

"I can't breathe." Percy muttered, but did as he was told. He almost puked multiple times, but finished without. When they were satisfied that the already rotting face was covered by the hood, Isaiah picked him up, so it looked like he was sleeping, and they left.

The walk to Percy was longer than usual, the fall temperatures cutting their way through his light suit jacket. His toes were about frozen, since his shoes had almost no bottoms. He could only imagine what the others were feeling, however, with no jackets, or such small of shoes their feet must have already been hurting. His head was still aching, however, the small spells of dizziness coming and going. He was almost positive that he had a concussion, but knew he couldn't do anything about it. There wasn't enough time.

When they got in the forest, Percy's heart sank as he remembered what had happened. Again, he could see Ainslic's grave, waking up tied, Luke, and then, as he still remembered, Nico. He knew it hadn't been him, but he liked to think it was. It came him comfort. But seeing Jason's lifeless body as they gently set him on the ground, the reality came crashing in.

Conner and Travis had been there waiting for them, with about four shovels at their feet. They, Drake, and Isaiah each took one, starting to dig right beside Ainslic's grave. Thalia had her arms crossed, not taking her eyes off of her brother's body. Arlington, on the other hand, was sitting cross-legged on the ground, staring in the hole they were creating. Percy could see how nervous she was, but didn't know how to comfort her. How could you comfort somebody that might lose their only child by the end of the day?

When they assumed that the hole was big enough, Travis and Conner carefully lowered the body in, having to drop it a few feet. The dull thud made Percy wince and close his eyes. After a few seconds, he reopened them to see Thalia had done the same thing, but her eyes were still closed. Arlington, unfazed, still stared into the hole, her eyes a thousand miles away.

Conner shuffled on his feet, unsure of what to do. "Are any of you, um, religious or anything?"

No one spoke.

Looking at each other for conformation, the four boys began to fill the hole up again with the dirt they had dug out. This time, it went faster, and was much easier. When they were finished, they patted the dirt with their shovels, making it look as good as possible.

"Time for the headstone." Percy spoke for the first time, his throat dry and voice uneven.

Nodding, Thalia went and got it from one of the bags. Pulling it out, Percy could tell it had been a lot of money. The mahogany surface was smooth and unscathed, only the imprints of Jason's name ruining the image. When Thalia placed it and the foot of the grave, pounding it a few times so it went in the earth, it didn't falter once. It stood sleek and tall, like it had always meant to be there.

Arlington, still not having moved, didn't seem to realize that everything was over. When Travis and Conner left, Percy went over and sat down beside her. Thalia, silently crying, excused herself after a few minutes.

"Arlington, are you okay?" Percy asked, realizing how stupid the question was as it came out of his mouth.

She jumped, as if just realizing her was there. "What do you think Percy?"

Percy sighed, not knowing how to answer.

"That's what I though." she replied quietly. "What if he kills her Percy?"

He looked over at her, realizing that she was silently sobbing. Following his first instinct, he put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

"Well, it depends." Percy started, trying not to stiffen when she buried her head in his shoulder. "Do you believe in Heaven?"

Still crying, she shook her head without pulling away.

"I do." Percy stated. "And if he kills her, she will go to Heaven. Arlington, she won't be starving anymore. She won't be cold, she won't be in pain. That cough she's had, it will be gone."

"But she'll never grow up." Arlington's voice was muffled by his shirt, but he could still hear the shakiness of it.

"And she'll never be hurt again." Percy put in. "She won't have to go through bullying, or jobs, or having to work until she dies."

"I'll never see her again." Arlington answered. "And Nico won't either. He loves her as his own. What will I tell him?"

"I don't think any of us were going to see Nico again anyways." Percy answered truthfully. "He's gone."

Arlington buried her face even more into his shirt, not wanting to hear what he said. She didn't answer, however, but Percy was fine with that. Instead, he held her like that for a little longer, until she was done crying. Even when she was done crying, they stayed in that position for a little longer, not wanting to get up.

"The rumble's going to start soon." Percy broke the silence, even though he really didn't want to. He wanted to stay like that forever, but he knew he couldn't. They had to do everything they could to get Nicole back, everything. Because Percy thought of her as his own, just as much as Nico did.


	28. Ready or Not

Chapter 28-

Nico didn't know how, but they soon found themselves about an hour away from where they grew up. They were on the outskirts of New York, and he could hear the constant throb of the city, the throb his heart had been missing since he had left.

Raven and him, once again, checked themselves in a hotel, having not been recognized by the worker. Quickly going up in their room, they closed the door behind them, and were once again safe. Raven immediately went to take a shower, leaving Nico alone in the room. He went and sat by the window, looking out into the nearby city. He was tempted to go and see his friends again, but knew he couldn't. He couldn't get caught, not with the talk of execution. He had to keep running. But still, he was tempted.

 _ **Line Breaakkkkk**_

Percy's stomach filled with dread as he and the rest of his gang stepped into the old park. Abandoned, it stood completely alone against the growing fog that seemed to seep through the city.

A storm was on the way.

Looking down, he saw that the dew had completely covered his shoes, sending little waves of coldness through his feet. The others didn't seem to mind, however, and started to lounge in the grass while they waited for the others. All of the ones under twelve were left back in the warehouse, so they had less then they originally had, but they had to keep the little ones safe.

Soon enough, the Hunters of Artemis came, the teenage girls looking scared but confident. Thalia was at the front, determination written all over her face. Her eyes, bloodshot and filled with anger, bore into his.

"Where are the cowards?" she asked, walking up to him and Arlington. "Are they late for their own rumble?"

"It looks like it." Percy agreed. "I swear, they're just trying to mess with us."

"They're hoping we'll leave." Arlington replied quietly. "They don't want to really fight. I would say they are acting childish."

"When have they not been childish?" Percy asked. "They're immature imps."

"The 'immature imps' are here." Thalia said, breaking their discussion. "You see? The ones coming in SUV's?"

"Of course they are." Arlington cursed under her breath. "Ok, let's get this done with."

The rest have them had seen them coming, and had stood up to meet them. They were told no weapons, but just in case the Stingers had brought some, they had knifes tucked into their shoes. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to use them.

Luke, the first to step out of the car, walked up to them with a large smirk on his face. Crossing his arms, he waited for the rest of his gang to line up before speaking.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked, cracking his knuckles. "It's 8:02, time to begin."

And then, before Percy even realized it, the first punch was thrown, and it was thrown into complete pandemonium. His fists flew a mile a minute, trying to protect himself as much as possible, but he still ended up getting hit. He couldn't see through the swarms of bodies, and didn't want to hit his own, but he knew he had to keep throwing the punches. It was the only way to survive.

Finally, he broke through the large mob and out into the clearing, seeing that Arlington had already done so. Not having to even talk, they came to a silent agreement, and continued on with each other. Eventually, they came to the SUV's, and began riffling through them. They needed to find Nicole.

A cry cut through the night, the wailing of the baby making them rush to one of the last cars. When Arlington threw the door open, they saw that one of the Stingers had the baby in his arms.

"Give me her!" Arlington shouted, lunging at the boy, resulting in getting kicked to the ground. Percy ran to pick her up, glaring at the boy.

"What can we do for you, for the baby?" Percy asked, bringing Arlington to her feet.

The boy only smirked. "You think you can just win her back? I've got orders from Luke. You're not getting this baby."

And then, from out of nowhere, there was a bullet hole in his skull, and while he collapsed to the ground, Arlington shot out and caught Nicole.

"Wha-?" Percy started to ask, but was caught off by Thalia's voice behind him.

"Run!" she hissed, pulling his arm as she started to sprint away, Arlington alongside her. Percy could make out the gleaming gun in Arlington's pocket, and knew she had done it. It had been the only way, however, and for the first time, Percy didn't feel bad about a death. Some, after all, were deserved.

They ran back to where the fight was, seeing that they were losing terribly. Some of them had run away, making the Stingers look more over powering then before. Percy saw that Travis and Conner were still there, looking the best out of all of them. Together, they fought from the middle, knocking out anybody that came too close. Isaiah and Drake were also doing good, but they, too, were lacking. They all needed help.

"Arlington, take Nicole and get out of here!" Percy turned toward her, putting his hands on her shoulders to make her realize that he was serious. "You need to get her out of here, and make sure that she's okay. I'll help here."

"Percy, you'll get yourself killed!" Arlington protested, griping the baby closer to her. "I'm staying here. I'll be fine."

"No, you won't." Percy said sternly. "You're saving your and your baby's lives. Get out of here."

"Why do you care so much?! Just let me stay!" Arlington raised her voice. "I can take care of myself, I've been doing it since I was a little girl!"

Without explanation, Percy pressed his lips against hers, pulling back a couple seconds later. "That's why, now go!"

He turned her around, scared to see her reaction, and pushed her gently on the back. Arlington looked back hesitantly, but nodded, and ran away with the baby. Percy watched until he couldn't see her anymore, the fog engulfing her body. Then, he turned back to the fight.

He needed to get them out of there.

Cuffing his hands over his mouth, running to the battle, he yelled hard enough for them all to hear him. At the moment, he didn't care about the embarrassment, he just cared for their lives. "Run away! Get out of there!"

They stopped and looked at him in confusion, but when they saw his face, they did as they were told. The Stingers, laughing so hard they fell to the ground, let them go. They had enough amusement for the day.

Conner and Travis were reluctant to leave, wanting to stay, but Percy dragged them away, whispering in their ears that they got Nicole. They were all safe. When they heard that, they didn't need to be dragged anymore and ran with him.

"We'll get them back one day." Conner swore, looking up at the nighttime sky. "I swear it. They'll pay for all they did."

The anger in his voice matched Percy's own mood, but he still felt light and giddy. He knew, even if they never got back at the Stingers, he could live a long, happy life with Arlington. And maybe, with her next to him, he could get over Raven, Nico, Jason, and Ainslic.


	29. Goodbye'

_**A.N: This is the last chapter! Thank you all so much for all the reviews and favorites. They all meant a lot for me, and I hope this was a good last chapter. I really don't think there will be sequel, but you never know for sure. Again, thank you all so much! Hopefully I'll see you in another one of my stories~Peyton**_

Chapter 29-

When they got back, everything was going good. They tended to everyone's wounds, they got everybody some real food (Thalia's treat), and for the first time, Percy could sit down and truly relax. That was, until, Thalia came barging in for the second time that night.

"Percy, lets go!" her voice was urgent as she dragged him to his feet and out of the warehouse.

Percy had never seen her so scared.

When they went outside, the last thing Percy expected to see Thalia's dad's police car, on and waiting for them.  
"Where are we going?" Percy asked, receiving no answer.

Thalia dragged him into the backseat, slamming the door behind him. As soon as the door was closed, Zeus started to drive away. Driving, Percy noted, pretty fast.

"Percy, trust me, you would have wanted to come." Thalia was breathing heavily. "If I didn't grab you, you would never forgive me."

"Where?" Percy asked again.

"This is going to be the last time." Thalia spoke to herself. "This is it. They're idiots!"

"Just tell me what your talking about!" Percy yelled, putting his hands on her shoulders.

She looked over at him, tears filling her eyes. "You didn't hear? Well, I guess, you haven't had anything to watch the news on. They think they found where Nico and Raven are, they're heading there. We are, too. Dad's on the case anyways. He's going to try and talk them down, you know? Try to save them."

"Where do they think they are?" Percy asked, his stomach about to empty all its condense.

"About fifteen minutes away." Thalia answered. "Since we're in a cop car, we should get there with the pothers, before they do anything. I thought you would want to help, you know? As soon as I heard, I made dad drive over to get you."

"So, if they get caught, they will be executed?" Percy asked, his voice small.

"No, they won't." Zeus spoke for the first time. "It depends on their attitudes. If they avoid arrest…..that's why I want to go."

Percy nodded, everything coming together. If they could get there, have them stand down….they could save their lives.

Those fifteen minutes were the fastest in Percy's life. Each time they heard a siren, or a yell, or even someone talking, his heart would miss a beat. He needed to save them, even if they had killed those people. They were his family, even raven, whom he had just met a year ago. There was a chance, and that was all he needed.

When they finally pulled up to the hotel, Percy jumped out of the still moving car, followed by Thalia. Together, with her dad behind them, they ran up to the entrance, sprinting into the main room. He heard a shout, followed by a curse, and saw that they had Raven in cuffs, his black hair falling all around his face. When he saw Percy, the pained expression didn't leave.

"Corvus!" he choked out, wincing as they pulled on his cuffs. Still, he tried to stay next to Percy. "My name is Corvus Lamar!"

And then, with one finally tug, the police man took him away, out of Percy's sight.

Percy never saw Raven again.

"He's upstairs!" Thalia yelled, dragging Percy along with her. When they reached the top of the stairs, they were just in time to see Nico slam one of the doors behind him, locking it.

Zeus, who was right behind him, pressed himself against the door. "Nico, come out, please. We can save you, you can save yourself. You can save you soul-"

"I don't have a soul!" Nico yelled, his voice breaking with emotions. "Why can't you guys just leave me alone!?"

"The police are getting agitated. They're going to break down the door!" Zeus lied. "You are my nephew, can't you save yourself for me?"

"I've got a gun, still. They better not break down the door!" Nico called out. "I-they-I can't-"

"Nico, calm down." Percy stepped up to the door. "Just calm down for me, okay?"

"Percy?" Nico asked. Percy could hear his labored breaths, the energy it was taking to come up with a solution, anyway to be free.

"I'm right here." Percy put his hand on the door. "Just talk to me, put the gun down."

"Do you believe in Heaven?"

Percy was taken aback by his question. "Huh?"

"Do you believe in Heaven?" Nico repeated himself. "Do you believe that's where you go when you die?" "Yeah, I do." Percy answered, truthfully, not sure why he was asking these questions. "I believe that with my whole being."

"Will they let me in if I kill myself?" Nico's voice was soft, barely heard. But Zeus did hear him, however, and pushed Percy out of the way.

"You're not going to kill yourself, you hear me?! You're barely eighteen years old, you have your whole life ahead of you!" he cried out.

"In prison?" Nico's voice cracked. "I didn't mean to kill him, I swear! I didn't mean…will they let me in? Will He forgive me? I swear I didn't mean to do it. I only met to hit Kathy. Please, I didn't mean to. I-I could even the score, my life for his. Maybe I won't be sent to Hell….."

"Nico, please, stay here for us." Zeus tried again. "We all love you."

"Do you really?" he asked. "Then why didn't you see how bad my father was, years and years ago?"

And then, what Percy would always remember most about his teenage years, the loud gunshot that echoed throughout the hall, and the thud of Nico's body falling to the floor. And then, a few seconds later, the dark blood that ran underneath the door.


	30. Epilogue

_**A.N: This is an epilogue for the story, which is kind of short, but I thought you guys would like it. Afterwards, I might post the character bios I made for my OC's in here, since there was a lot about them I didn't mention in the story. Hope you guys like it~Peyon**_

Percy married Arlington after they each turned twenty, and adopted Nicole the same day. A year later, they had a kid together, naming her Ambrose. Percy had never felt happier.

He still got nightmares about that night, however; how could he not? The violent death of his cousin, the ending to what could have been a lifelong bond of happiness…it was all gone, wasted. And he would never get it back.

Percy tried not to think about this, especially on the days he spent with his kids. Some days he didn't even have to try to forget; his family made him carefree. But when he did remember, in gruesome detail, he couldn't help but spend the night with a bottle of whiskey, trying to burn the memories from his mind. It still hurt to think about them, but maybe, one day when he was older, he could remember and feel no pain. Maybe he could look back on the days before the terrible ending as the best days of his life; for they were, to some degree. And that was one of the main reasons he hated for them to be over. They were the start and the creations of his life now. He was where he was because of their deaths.

And guiltily, hating himself for it, he remember Ainslic, and how he thought she was the love of his life. She was his first love, and if she wouldn't have died, he probably would have spent his life with her. Those were the days he would give Arlington the biggest and longest hug and refuse to pull away. And then he would play with his kids for hours on end. Arlington knew his thinking, but didn't say a word, knowing that dwelling in the past would make it impossible to go into the future. They visited the graves of their friends regularly, but didn't dare speak about them as if they were still alive. It would cause too many problems, too many memories. They were better off leaving it alone, leaving the dead to rest in peace.

Thinking back on how it all started, Percy liked it in the beginning. It didn't feel very well back then, but it was the highlight of his life. When he was married to Arlington, raising two kids, his life was even more amazing. And then, in the way end, he could look back on his life and say, "Look at all that we've done".

He never regretted anything.


End file.
